1 May 2012
May Day launch of Sinn Féin Bill to protect workers’ rights
In the wake of Waterford Crystal, Talk Talk, La Senza, Lagan Brick, Vita Cortex, Game . . .
The Bill has been drafted to protect and enhance the rights of workers struggling to get their basic rights and entitlements
SINN FÉIN will introduce to the Dáil the Protection of Employees (Amendment Bill) 2012 during its Private Members’ Time this evening, May 1st – International Workers Day.
The Bill has been drafted to protect and enhance the rights of workers struggling to get their basic rights and entitlements. This includes those workers formerly employed at Waterford Crystal, Talk Talk, La Senza, Lagan Brick, Vita Cortex, Game and many others.
The party’s Workers’ Rights spokesperson, Senator David Cullinane, and Enterprise, Jobs and Innovation spokesperson Peadar Tóibín TD will be announcing details of the Bill at Leinster House today.
David Cullinane said:
“It is appropriate that our party would bring forward a bill to protect workers’ rights on this significant day for workers all over the world.
“Yesterday, the International Labour Organisation detailed the massive unemployment in Europe. Never was workers’ solidarity more important worldwide with unemployment figures rising to crisis levels.
“There is real human suffering behind every statistic and we see our fellow workers all over Europe taking the pain of the Eurozone crisis, highlighting the fact that austerity programmes are damaging economies and losing jobs.
“Workers’ organisations, trade unions and labour parties all over the continent are uniting in opposition to the Austerity Treaty – in this state we have the opportunity to vote on it in the 31 May referendum.
“I take this opportunity to call on all workers to act in their own interests and to Vote NO to the Austerity Treaty.”
Senator Cullinane also extended fraternal greetings to workers worldwide struggling for their rights in hard economic times.