Ivana Bacik (Dublin Bay South, Labour) | Oireachtas source

Yesterday came more bad news for those who work in the tech sector with the announcement that there will be almost 500 job losses at Meta's operation here in Ireland. Wen mortgages and rents are at an all-time high and the cost of everyday basics continues to rise, this is very difficult news for all those affected, many in my constituency of Dublin Bay South. I express my solidarity and that of my Labour Party colleagues with all of those who are once again in the dark as to whether they will continue have jobs in a few months' time.

Along with the cuts previously announced, it now seems that 20% of Meta's total workforce in Ireland is likely to be made redundant. That is a significant proportion. The Tánaiste knows that this forms a pattern in the sector. We are seeing a practice being embedded whereby big tech companies hire employees en masseand then fire them, again in large numbers, through collective redundancies in the name of so-called efficiency. It may appear to be efficient from a company’s point of view for its bottom line but it wreaks devastation on people, their families and the businesses dependent on those jobs. People are left wondering whether they will be able to put food on the table and pay their bills in the months ahead.

As with many companies in the sector, Meta does not recognise its workers' trade union, which is the Financial Services Union. This means the terms of the redundancies will be agreed by way of consultation, with little, if any, real bargaining power for the workers, as opposed to being negotiated with unions through collective bargaining processes.

Yesterday, in reply to my questions on this matter in anticipation of the job losses, the Taoiseach pointed out that 2.6 million people are at work in Ireland, which is very welcome of course, and that people are employed in increasing numbers in the tech sector, notwithstanding the spate of cuts. It is the quality and security of the jobs that is at issue and that is cause for concern for so many people and for the Labour Party. We know we are in a period of very welcome economic growth in Ireland, but that growth will not last forever. There is real concern about the sustainability of employment, not only in big tech but also in various other sectors. We see very concerning news that Germany, the EU's largest economy, is now in a technical recession. We know we cannot take for granted that uninterrupted growth will continue. We know that it will not.

What needs to happen during a period of relative stability here is to see the necessary investment in public services and infrastructure such as housing, childcare and facilities for children with special needs and autistic children, as we heard promised yesterday by the Minister of State, Deputy Rabbitte, during the debate on the Private Members' motion tabled by the Labour Party. We also need a concerted programme of measures to improve and strengthen workers' rights and to ensure that companies have obligations and not just options. We need to see the Government put in place mechanisms to ensure rebalancing and measures to increase wages. We need to see the Government take up the call made by the Irish Congress of Trade Unions, ICTU, today to increase to the minimum wage. Will the Government heed the calls of ICTU to raise the minimum wage? Will it introduce a right to organise and compel employers to recognise trade unions and workers' representatives?

See this speech in context