Mandate Trade Union calls on all TD’s to support Banded Hours Contract Bill with no further delays
Wednesday 6 July 2016Retail workers plead for legislation to be passed immediately
Mandate Trade Union is calling on all members of the Oireachtas to support the Banded Hours Contract Bill 2016 without any further delay, saying this legislation would effectively end the exploitation of low and zero hour contract workers.
This Bill already has the support of Sinn Fein, the Labour Party, Independents4Change AAA/PBP, Social Democrats, and others.
Fianna Fail have expressed their support for the Bill in principle but they have proposed an amendment which would delay its implementation by a further 12 months. Mandate say this delay is “unnecessary and unacceptable.”
Gerry Light, Mandate Assistant General Secretary said: “Delaying this Bill for 12 months allows the disgraceful exploitation of low paid and vulnerable workers to continue for another year. Dunnes Stores workers went on strike over this very issue more than 14 months ago and at that time they received widespread support from all sides of politics. Since then, that exploitation has continued and in some cases, it’s become worse.”
Mr Light added, “Now those same workers – some of whom had their incomes slashed for their brave stance against this type of exploitation – are being told that they will have to wait another 12 months before anything can be done about this. That is a betrayal of the support they were told they had a year ago.”
Mr Light said Dunnes workers and other low paid workers don’t have the luxury of waiting twelve months for action on this issue.
“Retail and hospitality workers are having their incomes cut from €400 per week to €150 at the whim of a local manager. They cannot plan their lives. They cannot get a loan from a credit union or from a bank because their guaranteed contractual hours are between 8 and 15. Telling these workers to wait further is akin to telling them to live this nightmare for another year. We’re either committed to decent work in this country or we’re not.”
The Banded Hour Contracts Bill has two positive outcomes for workers. It allows them to apply for a contract that reflects the hours they already work and it facilitates workers seeking more hours, provided they are available.
The day before the Dunnes Stores strike last year (April 2nd 2015) in Dail Eireann, Taoiseach Enda Kenny expressed his support for this issue when he said, “I support certainty and the right of people to know from their employer what hours they are expected to work each week.”
Fianna Fail leader Michael Martin also supported the workers saying the situation facing Dunnes Stores workers was “like going back to the 19th century.”
He added, “I have met some of the workers. What was most disquieting was their fear that they could be punished by their employer simply for meeting me.”
Deputy Martin continued, “Employees cannot obtain mortgages and cannot even get car loans. Worst of all, the system is used to control workers. They are threatened with a reduction in hours if they are not on-side and do not play ball. Sick pay is orchestrated and is almost non-existent. There is limited holiday pay, and so on.
“All the workers are seeking are banded-hour contracts, which Marks & Spencer, Tesco, SuperValu and Penneys have all given. It is very regrettable and shameful that an Irish employer does not see fit to give them.”
In conclusion, Deputy Martin said, “The existing legislative safeguards are no longer adequate to stop what is going on. It must stop, and the message must be sent out that if the current practices continue there will be legislative response to ensure they do not.”
The Dunnes Stores National Shopstewards Committee have written to all TD’s calling for action immediately.
Mandate has now written to all Fianna Fail TD’s calling on them to withdraw their amendment saying any concerns the party may have can be dealt with at the committee stage.
