The Social Democrats have strongly criticised a Government amendment to its Workers’ Rights Motion which is due to be debated in the Dáil this evening.
Dublin Central TD, Gary Gannon, said the amendment from the Tánaiste, Leo Varadkar TD, was a disgraceful attempt by the Government to undermine the SocDems motion, which seeks to have the issue of workers’ rights, precarious employment and low pay prioritised by the Government.
He said:
“Our motion calls on the Government to make exactly the same commitment to workers in the Republic of Ireland that they made to workers in Northern Ireland in the ‘New Decade, New Approach’ agreement back in January of this year.
“It is highly telling that the Tánaiste conveniently makes no reference to what they agreed to and supported in Northern Ireland in his amendment.
“The Government’s amendment simply pays lip service to the principle of workers’ rights. It deliberately ignores any references to collective bargaining, worker protections and precarious and insecure work.”
Social Democrats co-leader, Catherine Murphy TD, added:
“It is somewhat bizarre for the Government to be supporting workers’ rights in Northern Ireland while at the same time seeking to undermine the SocDems motion for those same rights in the Republic. It is insulting to workers in the Republic, the same workers that the Government amendment seeks to honour.
“We are calling on the three Government parties to stand up for workers in Ireland, both in the private and public sectors, by supporting our motion this evening.”
ENDS
July 15th, 2020
1. See the SocDems Motion here.
2. And the Government Amendment here (page 6/236)