Alice-Mary Higgins (Independent)

We will have statements on Europe Day later and I am looking forward to making a contribution. However, I have checked and Europe Day is usually celebrated on 9 May by the European Parliament and on 5 May by the European Council. While I am of course delighted we are going to have the opportunity to speak about Europe Day, I am a little puzzled as to why we are not doing so next week because today is International Workers' Day. It is May Day, the day for workers across the world. Since we are having Europe Day statements today on International Workers' Day, perhaps we could have statements on workers' rights on 9 May. Both are very important and worth marking.

I have a few things to say to mark International Workers' Day. Much work needs to be done on workers' rights in Ireland. UCD has published reports highlighting that up to 27% of jobs in the State are precarious in nature, with little security, lower wages and few opportunities to grow and develop.In the higher education sector, which I work with very closely as a Senator, more than 40% of employees are on temporary, short-term or part-time contracts without access to rights and benefits or the ability to plan their lives. This is not just bad for the workers but for all of us because insecurity in the area in which we hope ideas will be generated creates a climate of fear and moves us away from the thinking, security and ideas we should be getting from the higher education sector, including diversity.

Section 39 healthcare workers took action in February and March to demand what they deserve, namely, pay parity with their public sector counterparts. These workers are delivering the same services that perhaps should be delivered directly by the public services at much lower pay rates and without the same security.

If we have statements on 9 May, I hope we will be able to address the very worrying statements from the Taoiseach indicating his intention to delay the implementation of the adequate minimum wage directive and to delay progress towards a living wage. This is coming at a time of international insecurity. We cannot have a situation whereby we are deciding to wait until 2029, which is after the term of the Government, before we deliver a living wage for workers. The adequate minimum wage directive inserts adequacy as one the things we should be thinking about when we determine the minimum wage. I note the trade unions' campaign on things that do not cost money but which, I hope, the Government will might progress, namely, recognition of unions, rights to collective bargaining and protection from union busting. These will all be required under EU law but we should be doing them anyway, rather than waiting until 2029.