Bríd Smith (Dublin South Central, People Before Profit Alliance) | Oireachtas source

I move amendment No. 11:

In page 15, line 5, to delete "12 months" and substitute "6 months".

I know a concession has already been made on Committee Stage, with the period of 18 months changed to 12 months, but we should reduce it further. The argument has been made about "seasonal" work, and the amount of hours worked would not reflect the real type of work available to an employee. To argue that anything up to 12 months is seasonal means it is a funny kind of season. A six-month period is much more appropriate. If a worker gets a job and is guaranteed a certain number of hours but does not receive them, or works more than what was given in the first place, a six-month period would be long enough to reflect that position and the band workers should be in. After six months, workers should be allowed to contest the matter. This particularly affects young workers who start on a job and they do not expect to have to wait for that process. The Minister and I certainly did not have to wait for a year to find out what our working conditions would be like. Six months is more than sufficient to wait.

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