Cathy Bennett (Cavan-Monaghan, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

International Workers' Day should be a celebration of the advancement of workers' rights; a celebration of those who have made great sacrifices to better the condition of ordinary workers.

It is also an opportunity to reaffirm our demand for workers' rights fit for a modern era. It is a day to reaffirm our demand for the Government to improve workers' rights and conditions, and especially to demand that governments are held to their related promises. Unfortunately, indications are that this Government intends to break its promises to workers.

Workers feel the pinch with the cost-of-living crisis. We are told that the pension enrolment due in September of this year is to be delayed for a few months. We are also told that commitments on a living wage next year are delayed until 2029. Increased sick leave is also delayed until some as yet undefined point. A secure retirement, being lifted from poverty and being able to take a day off when one is sick are not things that Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael believe all workers are entitled to.

The ongoing global economic turbulence cannot be used as an excuse by this Government to abandon the commitment to improve terms and conditions for workers. The Government can and should support businesses through complementary measures. The implementation of a 9% VAT rate for the tourism sector would make a real difference, as would real measures to reduce the cost of energy. Sinn Féin has always called for the implementation of an employer's PRSI rebate. These are the sorts of measure that would help address the cost of doing business while also allowing delivery on the commitments we need for workers. We need to see progress on joint labour committees in the hospitality sector. While the programme for Government commits to developing well-paid careers in the tourism industry, responses to parliamentary questions indicate the Department of further and higher education as yet lacks even the concept of a plan. As a €6.2 billion sector that supports more than 250,000 jobs, the tourism sector deserves greater than sloganeering and platitudes to roll out at election time and in Government documents. It is well beyond time that this Government began taking workers and businesses seriously. If we want to increase our tourism industry, we should start with our workers.

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