Clare Daly (Dublin Fingal, Independent) | Oireachtas source

I have no problem with the Taoiseach repeating his soundbites, if they are his, as much as he wishes if that is what he is into, but a soundbite does not put food on the table. Statistics show, as Social Justice Ireland did earlier this year, that as the economy has recovered more people at work are in poverty. Over 100,000 workers at work are in poverty because of zero-hour contracts and precarious contracts of employment. My question was about that issue. The Labour Court recovered almost €2 million in unpaid wages last year for vulnerable women workers in particular. Talking about new legislation is good and we welcome that legislation. However, the point the Taoiseach is missing is that it is not enough when employers are deliberately ignoring the industrial relations machinery of the State.

In the case of Lloyds Pharmacy, for example, why does the Taoiseach not say that those who do business with the Government, the HSE or otherwise should, as a minimum condition, treat their workers fairly, not have zero-hour contracts and adhere to the principles of equality? We should be doing ethical business. If the Taoiseach inserts such clauses in State contracts I guarantee that he will do more for the working conditions of people in the State than through any other measure he might take. It is a little ironic that we talk about measures such as changes to the constitutional clause regarding women in the home and so forth when we ignore, in particular, the areas where women work and the number of women who are exploited because of the failure to recognise unions. Lloyds Pharmacy recognises the union of its male workers in the distribution depots, where wages are good, but not the women's union. People do not want the Taoiseach's soundbites or his talk. They want to see a little action on some of this.

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