Louise O'Reilly (Dublin Fingal, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

We need say this out loud. We are dealing with vulnerable workers, very often migrants and part-time workers, as the Tánaiste said, and people who do not have much power at the level of the workplace. Of course, the only way to increase that power is to join a union, get active in it and not wait around for legislation.

The purposes of these amendments is to balance it in favour of the employees. I accept what the Tánaiste said in relation to data control or a data processor. However, there needs to be some level of transparency so that a worker – and we know these are low-paid workers – would have some sort of knowledge as it whether the employer is taking something. The Tánaiste said that in smaller employments there is usually a good understanding of how much work the employer is doing, and there is. However, equally, the employer might not be doing half the work, but taking half the tips. I am not saying all employers would do this, but we know that it happens and we would not be here if it did not. There is a balance to be struck. Clearly, people are entitled to some privacy in relation to personal information. However, there is, equally, the right of the worker to know. If you are already only getting a share of half because half has gone to the employer, you will not know that from the statement that you get. There is an unfairness in that. This set of amendments is just to bring a little bit more transparency, particularly for the workers who, as we all know, are very often vulnerable or low-paid workers who do not have that power at the level of the workplace.

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