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05/12/2017
Govt Urged To Prioritise Legislation To End Zero Hour Contracts
Labour Youth has called on the Government to prioritise legislation to end zero hour contracts and 'if and when' work practices.
The call follows a report published by the Irish Congress of Trade Unions (ICTU) that shows that precarious work is on the rise in Ireland, with over 8% of the Irish workforce now in insecure contracts.
Labour Youth Chairperson Chloe Manahan said: "The trend towards insecure, sham work is nothing short of a disgrace. Precarious work is a clear manifestation of the race to the bottom when it comes to workers' rights and standards. It is a problem that is has become prevalent among young workers to the point of normalisation - and this cannot continue.
"Precarious work, and in particular the issue of zero hour contracts is something that Labour Youth has been campaigning against for many years, so while these statistics are not a surprise, they are extremely frustrating, especially since it has been almost two years since the recommendations of the University of Limerick Report into zero hour contracts was published.
"This sort of labour exploitation is not only an attack on workers' living standards, but is also leads to inefficiency in our economy. Urgent legislation is needed to tackle this problem. The government must follow up on the recent announcement made that it would take swift action to end zero hour contracts.
"A decent day's work must result in decent pay. Each contributor to society and the economy must be both acknowledged and rewarded. Workers should not be living on the breadline. Precarious contracts pose a significant threat to ensuring stable and quality employment for workers, something which we, in Labour Youth, believe is essential."
(MH/LM)
The call follows a report published by the Irish Congress of Trade Unions (ICTU) that shows that precarious work is on the rise in Ireland, with over 8% of the Irish workforce now in insecure contracts.
Labour Youth Chairperson Chloe Manahan said: "The trend towards insecure, sham work is nothing short of a disgrace. Precarious work is a clear manifestation of the race to the bottom when it comes to workers' rights and standards. It is a problem that is has become prevalent among young workers to the point of normalisation - and this cannot continue.
"Precarious work, and in particular the issue of zero hour contracts is something that Labour Youth has been campaigning against for many years, so while these statistics are not a surprise, they are extremely frustrating, especially since it has been almost two years since the recommendations of the University of Limerick Report into zero hour contracts was published.
"This sort of labour exploitation is not only an attack on workers' living standards, but is also leads to inefficiency in our economy. Urgent legislation is needed to tackle this problem. The government must follow up on the recent announcement made that it would take swift action to end zero hour contracts.
"A decent day's work must result in decent pay. Each contributor to society and the economy must be both acknowledged and rewarded. Workers should not be living on the breadline. Precarious contracts pose a significant threat to ensuring stable and quality employment for workers, something which we, in Labour Youth, believe is essential."
(MH/LM)
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