I am proud member of a trade union, SIPTU, and have been for almost 20 years. When I lived in America, I was a member of the services union 32B/32J. I was delighted to see the positive impact that the support from that union had on the election last year of Mayor Zohran Mamdani in New York city. A survey from the Irish Congress of Trade Unions has found that more than half of workers believe their pay does not match their skills and effort. Figures published by the European Commission in 2025 show that one in five employees in Ireland is classified as a low-wage earner. The proportion of Irish workers deemed low-wage earners has effectively remained unchanged since a similar study on earnings was conducted in 2018. The Minister can spin it whatever way he wants, but the Governments of which he has been a member have not addressed the issue of low pay. As a minimum, we need to start with the introduction of a statutory living wage. The latter has been pushed back to January 2029. This needs to be delivered now and not in three years' time. The 200,000 workers impacted cannot wait; the rising cost of necessities dictates that they cannot afford to wait. Our plan for a living wage includes safeguards for SMEs that may struggle to meet the cost involved and offers exemptions for financially vulnerable businesses. A living wage is necessary to stop the epidemic of low-paid and often precarious work in Ireland. At the same time, we need to help workers and their families to address the rising cost of living, particularly as it relates to rent, transport, and energy. We also need to legislate for the right to collective bargaining and guaranteed union access to workplaces. The way to drive productivity is to invest in people and improve employment protections. Trade unions deliver better pay and conditions and a stronger and more productive economy, so why is there no urgency to deliver collective bargaining? As usual, when there is a choice to be made Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael will always side with employers as opposed to the workers because they know when there is collective bargaining, their rights are stronger, with better pay and better conditions.

Sentiment score: 0.17