Paul Murphy (Dublin South West, Solidarity) | Oireachtas source

President Michael D. Higgins recently addressed the International Labour Organization in Geneva and remarked that it was the first international organisation that the Free State joined post-Independence, the implication being a deep-seated commitment to workers' rights that, unfortunately, was not reflected in the actions of the Free State at home, which repressed workers engaged in struggles. Does the Government plan to transpose Article 2 of Convention 98 of the ILO into Irish law? Specifically, I refer to the following: "Acts which are designed to promote the establishment of workers' organisation under the domination of employers or employers' organisations...shall be deemed to constitute acts of interference."

I raise this in the context of the impending strike tomorrow, organised by members of Mandate at Lloyds Pharmacy, which I and my colleagues fully support. As well as the issues of pay, sick pay and zero-hour contracts, a worrying dimension of the dispute is the bogus company union, funded by the employer, in direct contravention of the aforementioned article.

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