Joan Collins (Dublin South Central, Independent) | Oireachtas source

In the trade unions' experience older workers and those with longer service will continue to be discriminated against as employers choose to hire new workers on lesser terms and conditions of employment rather than allow their existing staff to utilise the extra hours when available. This leads to an increase in low-paid precarious work, an area in which Ireland is one of the worst offenders in the EU. For example, more than 85% of Dunnes Stores workers say that allocation of hours is used as a control mechanism over them. This provision is vital if we are to tackle that scourge.

The removal of the commitment on employers to offer additional hours to existing part-time employees results in the State's continued and growing requirement to support these workers via supplementary welfare payments, such as family income supplement, and increase the number of employees who categorise themselves as underemployed for welfare purposes. We have to accept that we have the second highest level of underemployment in the EU 15 with 147,000 workers stating they are underemployed. That is to say they would like more hours or full-time work. This amendment deals with that.

I and other Deputies would be happy to get together tomorrow afternoon if the Minister withdrew the amendment to try to work out an amendment to deal with some of the issues raised regarding similar job specifications, skills or qualifications. The WRC and the Labour Court are well experienced to know when someone comes in with a grievance or takes a case against an employer and it is a nurse versus a porter. That would not be accepted in the Labour Court. They know the job specifications, qualifications and skills that would have to work around that.

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