URGENT: Three steps to decent work!

Friday 16 November 2018

One of the most important pieces of legislation on workers’ rights in decades is to be debated in Seanad Eireann on Tuesday, 20^th November 2018 at 5:45pm.

If it passes, it may mean the Employment (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2017 becomes law before Christmas, and workers will have the right to new contracts of employment that reflect the hours they actually work.

We are asking Mandate Trade Union members and all other trade unionists to take the following three steps to ensure this Bill passes without any further delays:

1. Email all Senators at senators@oireachtas.ie (sample message below)
2. Call & email Fine Gael and Fianna Fail offices and tell them you support this Bill and will be watching how they vote (details below)
3. Tweet to the key political parties by clicking here or below.

Tweet: Legislate for secure hour contracts now!
#PrecariousWork is damaging lives. We want:
1. Strong bands of hours 2. Secure incomes 3. No victimisation
We’ll be watching the Seanad on Tue, 20th Nov, & watching how you vote @fiannafailparty @FineGael @sinnfeinireland & @Labour

• Contact Fianna Fáil – Tel: (01) 676 1551 Email: info@fiannafail.ie
• Contact Fine Gael T: 01-6198444 / E: finegael@finegael.ie

Please forward any correspondence received from Senators or political parties to Mandate Trade Union at news@mandate.ie

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SAMPLE EMAIL

Dear Senator,

As you know, the Employment (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2017 will be debated in Seanad Eireann next Tuesday, 20^th November 2018 at 5:45pm. This piece of legislation is of the utmost importance to me and to thousands of workers on precarious contracts of employments.  

I am asking, respectfully, that you ensure this Bill progresses as quickly as possible and ensure that the minimum provisions set out in the Bill include the demands of the Secure Hours=Better Future campaign:

1. Ban Zero Hour Practices – including exploitative “If and When” contracts.
2. Provide workers with secure hour contracts that reflect the reality of the average weekly hours worked.
3. Ensure a maximum ‘look-back’ period of 12 months or less to calculate the average weekly hours and the subsequent ‘band of hours’* into which a worker is placed.
4. Ensure the maximum width of all ‘band of hours’ is no greater than 5 hours per week
5. Protect workers from victimisation for enforcing their rights under this legislation.
6. Ensure legislation is implemented so that current workers can avail of its provisions for hours already completed.

If you have any questions in relation to this, please let me know, or else contact Mandate Trade Union at news@mandate.ie or 01-8746321.

Thank you for your support and we look forwards to seeing this Bill being enacted into legislation.

Yours sincerely,

_______________________

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More information on the Bill is available here:

A mobile friendly  version is available here.