Paul Gavan (Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

I begin by wishing my colleague and comrade, Senator Trevor Ó Clochartaigh, well in to the future. I will develop the theme on which he spoke. Precarious work obviously impacts the restaurant sector and an excellent report has been published by the Irish Congress of Trade Unions, ICTU. It is excellent because it is facts based. It tells us that in 2016 some 158,000 workers had their hours varied from one week to the next. We should imagine the uncertainty this must cause these workers and their families in not knowing, from one week to the next, what hours of work they will have. The report also shows a step-change in the economy. For example, there are now 109,000 fewer workers in full-time employment than in 2008. It shows that 50% of workers last year said they were in temporary employment, not through choice, but because they could not find full-time employment. ICTU has also called on the Government to publish the Department's report on bogus self-employment. It is a puzzle as to why that report has not been published. I call for a debate on this issue.

I am aware the Government has planned legislation to amend the Organisation of Working Time Act 1997, and I welcome this initiative, but ICTU has pointed out that it does not go anywhere near far enough. I am particularly delighted that ICTU has endorsed the Banded Hours Contract Bill which Sinn Féin brought to the Dáil last year, but which regrettably was dropped by Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael. There is a need, in justice terms and in economic common sense terms, to address the issue of precarious work. It is becoming far too widespread in the economy. The Government has the power to address the issue and I call for a debate on it and for all-party agreement so we can afford justice and economic certainty to hundreds of thousands of workers in our economy today.