Workers’ living standards and their rights are on the ballot in this election

Labour launches plan to end low pay and give workers more power at work:

• Government’s shameful record on low pay must be brought to an end with 27% of all workers low paid in the Irish economy and over a third of those are women.
• Ignorance of FF and FG laid bare with no commitment to introduce living wage. SF gives no commitment after year one.
• To fix low pay at a minimum the next government must ensure every full time worker earns at least the Living Wage set at 66% of median earnings every year.
• To give more control for workers in the workplace the next Government must guarantee workers the right to organise and bargain collectively.
• Shift the workplace power balance with a real right to flexible work, regulation of AI in the workplace, supports to retrain mid-career and an end to bogus self-employment.
• Use public procurement budget to raise living standards.

Find the full document here.

Launching Labour’s New Deal for Working People, Marie Sherlock outlined Labour’s ambitious plan to raise wages and increase the power of workers to negotiate for better terms and conditions, highlighting that none of the three largest parties have commitments to a living wage in their manifesto.

Only the Labour Party will deliver a transformative programme of legislative action to reset the power imbalance at the heart of Irish industrial relations, as larger parties back away from tackling low pay and legislating for EU directives.

Senator Sherlock said:

“Workers’ living standards and their rights are on the ballot in this election. The outgoing government is rowing back on sick pay, the living wage, and has failed to implement the binding provisions of the EU Directive on Adequate Minimum Wages.

“The major parties are raiding the Social Insurance Fund to subsidise low pay, while hundreds of millions are promised to employers, but none of them are committed to a real living wage.

“It is shocking that none of the three largest parties commit to the basic definition of a living wage. FF and FG don’t even mention it in their manifesto, while all SF say is they will increase the minimum wage by €1.10 next year.

“For Labour this is a non-negotiable commitment for the next government. Over a fifth of workers live on low pay, and the cost of living crisis has only worsened their situation.

“Labour will raise the pay of apprentices, ban unpaid internships and sub-minima pay rates for young people, and introduce new rules for low pay sectors like home care and hospitality with JLCs to provide fair pay agreements that set a floor on pay and conditions.

“The next government must use the public procurement budget to increase the level of collective bargaining in the economy and Labour will ensure state contracts include a commitment to recognising trade unions and negotiating for pay and conditions. We will also overhaul the overly restrictive Unfair Dismissals Act to protect workers organising for better pay and conditions.

“Labour will give employees more control at work by regulating the use of artificial intelligence, the gig economy, bogus self-employment and introduce a right to switch off.

“Central to our new deal are opportunities to transform your career. This means a right to flexible work, greater adoption of the four-day week, a full year of paid parental leave and a new Freedom to Learn scheme to allow people who have worked for at least ten years to stop and switch with skills vouchers and part-time degree and master’s courses funded from the National Training Fund.”