Averil Power (Independent) | Oireachtas source

I thank everybody, on all sides of the House, who has contributed to the debate. In particular, I thank Senator Jillian van Turnhout, from the Independent group, for seconding the motion, for which I am glad that we have secured all-party agreement. As a group, we deliberately drafted it in such a way that it would be achievable. We did not seek to score points, throw petty criticisms at the Government or make it a party political matter. We deliberately recognised progress that had been made and reforms that had been introduced in areas such as the collective bargaining legislation, as the Minister mentioned, which strikes a reasonable balance and has managed to secure wide support not only from employees but also from employers. It has taken what has traditionally been a contentious, unresolved issue and resolved it in a fair way with access to the court, if necessary, to enforce workers' rights. I recognise the work done on the national minimum wage and the Low Pay Commission and accept that much work has been done. We have tabled the motion because there is still cause for concern.

As I said in my opening remarks, many employees who have been brought into employment during recent years have been brought into low paid employment. The record will show that I did not say “most” but “many”. It is a concern and has been held up by research published this week by the Think-tank for Action on Social Change, TASC, which has shown that Ireland has the third highest incidence of low pay in the OECD and that the incidence of low pay is rising steadily and more quickly than in our international counterparts. The incidence of low pay relates not just to the economic collapse of recent years; the study has found that the number of workers experiencing low pay has been rising since 2003. This is a concern and we need to take stock of it.

We have many fine employers. Most employers have signed up on many of the issues we have raised such as good wages, fair working hours, the right to representation, respect, equality and ethos. Generally, employers understand the point the Minister, Senator Labhrás Ó Murchú and I have made, that a good employer understands the best way to have a successful business is to keep staff happy and that employees who buy into the business on the same level as the owners and managers are part of a shared vision and want the business to be successful.I can often tell as soon as I walk in the door of a shop whether staff are treated well by their employer. Most employers treat their staff well but it is our job to stand up for those who are not afforded decent wages and working conditions or who do not enjoy equality and dignity in the workplace. That is why we have the State's industrial relations machinery and why we need to pass legislation to protect those who are exploited, such as Dunnes Stores workers and others working in precarious employment. I am glad there is cross-party support for the motion and I urge the Minister to act on the issues of fair pay and decent conditions of work. An issue also arises of bogus self-employment, whereby people are effectively the employees of a company but they are hired as subcontractors in order that the employer can avoid putting them on the books or paying the employee's PRSI. They can be left in a difficult situation in that, not having been employees, they are not entitled to social protection if they lose their jobs. I ask the Minister to investigate this issue.

Senator van Turnhout has pointed out that fair pay, dignity at work and fair working conditions are not unreasonable. Any decent employer would seek to provide them. I urge the Minister to do all he can to work with employers and unions to ensure they are delivered in order that we do not see another Dunnes or Clerys. The public was rightly outraged to see employees treated in that manner. We need to review our laws to ensure all workers can enjoy the decency and respect to which they are entitled.