Ann Graves (Dublin Fingal East, Sinn Fein)

Sonas Lá na Bealtaine oraibh. I am very proud member of SIPTU and have been a union member and representative all my working life. I commend the unions represented in Leinster House today promoting the benefits of union membership. I was also happy to stand with the early years childhood groups in calling on the Government to honour its pre-election promises to the sector. Trade unions pay an important and progressive role in Irish society. They are to the fore in defending the interests of working people and their communities. They played a central role in many political campaigns, including the campaign for divorce, marriage equality and a woman's right to choose. They took the lead on the right to water and the Raise the Roof housing campaigns. I urge the unions to work with political parties and reorganise the Raise the Roof campaign. We urgently needed an active and vibrant housing campaign demanding an end to the housing emergency and homeless crisis.

I carry two very important membership cards, my union card and my Sinn Féin membership card. Both have represented me very well. The needs of working people continue to change from the Dublin Lockout in 1913, the Irish Glass Bottle workers strike of 2002 and the Debenhams lockout of 2020. We are still in battle with the powers that be, both inside and outside the Dáil.

The European Union directive for adequate minimum wages is a step in the right direction. It will require action from Government to make it a reality for workers in Ireland. It is also key for workers to have access to their trade union representatives at work. A trade union organiser or official must be allowed to enter the workplace and meet their membership without threat or intimidation. We must have the full transposition of the EU directive into Irish law. This must include strong incentives for collective bargaining and the publishing of a roadmap on how to achieve the 80% trade union coverage outlined in the directive. To date, the Government has failed to show how this will be achieved. Instead, relying on current legislation has led only to 30% coverage. This clearly shows that the Government is treating the EU directive as some sort of add-on. It is not an add-on and we cannot accept this nonsense.

In 2018, the Government promised that it would review its own decision to not allow workers to access extra hours at work. The review has never happened. This issue has led to severe hardship and poverty for low-income workers. It is also being used by some unscrupulous employers as a union-busting mechanism. One practical step the Minister should take to improve the life for workers in Ireland is to transpose the EU part-time workers directive into Irish law. Workers have waited 20 years for this to happen. This would enable part-time workers to access full-time hours when they become available. On this International Workers' Day, I urge workers to ensure they are members of a union and I urge the Minister to transpose this directive into Irish law as soon as possible.

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