Twitter workers show that it can’t be all one way for employers

• Labour calls for amendment to Protection of Employment legislation to increase fines to a percentage of turnover, not a token fine.

Labour employment spokesperson Marie Sherlock has today (Saturday, 19th November) said the response by hundreds of Twitter employees this week to the introduction of draconian workplace changes shows that employers can’t have it all their own way and that workers can and should vote with their feet. 

Senator Sherlock said:

“While many Twitter workers have opted to leave, for workers in other sectors that is often not an easy to take option. But it doesn’t have to mean workers are powerless. Workers should take note of the call from President Michael D Higgins to join a trade union so that as a worker, you have a say when deciding your pay and conditions."

"The clear contempt Twitter has shown for the collective redundancy laws of this State in the past fortnight must also be a wake up call for the Government. The derisory fine of €250,000 for breaches of the 1977 Protection of Employment Act is long out of date and clearly no deterrence to bad behaviour."