Dáil debates

Tuesday, 3 October 2017

Banded Hours Contract Bill 2016: Referral to Select Committee [Private Members]

 

3:45 pm

Photo of David CullinaneDavid Cullinane (Waterford, Sinn Fein)
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I move:

That the Banded Hours Contract Bill 2016 be referred to the Select Committee on Employment Affairs and Social Protection pursuant to Standing Orders 84A and 141.

This Bill was voted on on Second Stage last July and went through a very rigorous discussion and debate at the former Joint Committee on Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation. The committee worked tirelessly and held a number of sittings and meetings to discuss the Bill. It met with over a dozen groups, including the Law Society, trade unions and business groups. The committee produced a report that made 21 recommendations to strengthen the Bill. As someone who attended two of the meetings and addressed the committee on both occasions to discuss the recommendations for the different groups, I support and accept all the amendments that have been made in the report.

We are seeking to move this Bill forward. I understand that since we published our Bill, and notwithstanding the Government rubbishing our Bill and saying there was no need for such a Bill, it is now talking about a Bill of its own. We do not believe that is necessary. We believe the right thing to do is to support our Bill with the amendments that have been made and actually deal with the real issue. What the Government is talking about is banning zero-hour contracts, which is not the real issue. The real issue is "if and when" contracts and low-hour contracts. That is where the exploitation and problem reside and that is the issue that needs to be resolved. The Labour Court recently suspended a case between Dunnes Stores and the Mandate trade union for six months pending the passing of my Bill into law so there is a clear need for this legislation to be moved on. It is an issue that is important to many working people. Of course, we would support ending zero-hour contracts but the University of Limerick study, which was commissioned by the previous Government and which examined this issue in detail, was very clear that the biggest issue facing workers was "if and when" contracts.

Question put and agreed to.