I welcome the proposals in this motion. It is long past the time that collective bargaining and trade union representation were made mandatory. It is 113 years after James Connolly and James Larkin led the lockout in this city to seek basic rights for workers. This State is completely at odds with the rest of Europe in not recognising the right to trade union representation and collective bargaining. All that is in the programme for Government are vague commitments. Yes, we have a high level of employment but we also have a high level of poor quality jobs and that continues to be a problem. A large percentage of those jobs are poor quality and low paid. There is widespread casualisation, short-term contracts, precarious hours, bogus self-employment, and I could go on. Unions have been resisted by many employers. There are reports of the victimisation of those who try to join, or recruit for, a trade union. The Government talks about collective bargaining and social partnership but 78% of the workforce in this State are locked out of that because only 22% of the workforce are in unions in 2024, the second lowest rate of union membership in the European Union, according to the Irish Congress of Trade Unions. The Government needs to legislate to give trade unions legal access to workplaces, to organise and to provide legal rights for trade union representation and collective bargaining on pay and conditions, etc. It was disappointing that the can was kicked down the road in regard to the living wage. This should have been brought forward and done a lot sooner. While the minimum wage has increased by a small amount, it does not cut it. Young workers aged under 20 are being exploited. Some of them are just getting 70% of the minimum wage, what is called a sub-minimum wage, but they are doing the same job. It is age-based discrimination. The Minister recently decided to defer any reform of the living wage until 2029 and that is disgraceful. Big business was very well looked after in the last budget, in legislation and in everything in this Dáil. Workers, however, are being left behind and it is now time to give basic rights to workers - those who get up early and keep this country running. A legal right to representation by a trade union and membership of one is a must. While you can join one, you cannot be represented by it. Access to the workplace for unions representatives is essential as is bringing forward reform of the minimum wage. That it has to wait until 2029 must be rescinded. We need to deal with the exploitation of young workers aged under 20 who are doing the same work but who are on this so-called sub-minimum wage. That is not acceptable. That is discrimination against young workers.

Sentiment score: -0.04