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

I move amendment No. 27:

In page 28, between lines 4 and 5, to insert the following: "(4) An employment permit shall include contact details for the Irish Congress of Trade Unions and the Workplace Relations Commission.".

This amendment is straightforward and quite technical. It does not change a huge amount but it could make a huge change for the people impacted by it. The amendment is in line with what the former Minister of State suggested on Committee Stage could be done. I indicated at the time that I would be introducing the provision in an amended format. I see no reason for anyone to oppose it and I hope I am not about to hear one.

The amendment seeks to facilitate the inclusion on employment permits of the contact details for the Irish Congress of Trade Unions and the Workplace Relations Commission. These are places to which workers, particularly vulnerable and migrant workers and the kinds of workers we are specifically talking about this evening, can go to get assistance in vindicating their rights at work. Furthermore, they can be signposted at those places to Migrant Rights Centre Ireland, MRCI, and other groups that will be able to help them.

We have all discussed the need to protect workers, and this amendment is nothing less than a practical step that could be taken to facilitate those workers in vindicating their rights at work.

It is and it remains the best protection at work to be a member of a trade union. The Minister of State spoke about that himself. At one point at least, he obviously has seen the benefit of it. We would like that benefit extended to those who may not have grown up knowing about the Irish trade union movement or indeed where to go. As someone who worked in the Irish trade union movement for a good number of years, I probably felt that everybody knew about us, what a trade union was, about Liberty Hall and how to access it, but some people do not. It is really important those people know, particularly because if those who are new to this country and are working need the support of their trade union, they may not even know where to start to look for that. Therefore, contact details for those people who can help and support them should be included as part of the work permit.

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