Labour Youth strongly opposes the reintroduction of work permits

national | worker & community struggles and protests | press release

Monday March 13, 2006 10:03

by Graham Ó Maonaigh - Labour Youth

17 Ely Place, Dublin 2, Ireland

+353-868381556

Labour Youth have a strongly progressive view on the rights of migrant workers in Ireland and believe that recent statements that provoke irrational fears are not in the long term interests of creating a multicultural Ireland based on solidarity between Irish citizens and the New Irish Communities working in Ireland today.

LABOR YOUTH

STATEMENT BY LABOUR YOUTH
Monday 13th March 2006

Labour Youth Chairperson, Graham O'Maonaigh, commented, "We wish to highlight Labour Youth's opposition to the call for the reintroduction of Work Permits for any EU worker. We would also like to make clear that we would expect the same rights and privileges to access the Irish Labour market to be extended to Bulgaria and Romania who are due to join the EU next year.

There is no situation under which it is acceptable to have one worker on higher rights and standards than another in the same job just because of their nationality. It is this two-tier system that in many ways resulted in the Irish Ferries dispute from arising and we wish to see a system of equal treatment of all workers in Ireland regardless of which country they are from.

The reintroduction of Work Permits for any EU national in Ireland would not be in the interests of anyone in Ireland; Irish or Migrant worker alike. Labour Youth as a section of the Labour Party will work with all levels of the party to ensure that the current Work Permit system is reformed to empower migrant workers in Ireland and also to eliminate the two-tier system of Labour standards in the Irish Labour market by giving all workers the same standards of employment and rights to union representation.

Currently there are more Dog Wardens than there is Labour Inspectors in Ireland. There must be an immediate increase in the number of Labour Inspectors to such a level that makes their job possible to enforce labour standards.

Labour Youth calls for these inequalities to be addressed through:

The current Worker Permit system should be reformed to allow Non-EU/EEA workers hold their Work Permit and not the current system where it is vested in the hands of their employers.
Under no circumstances should there be a Work Permit system in Ireland for workers from other EU countries or future EU countries such as Bulgaria or Romania.
More Labour Inspectors need to be introduced immediately and given the resources necessary to enforce labour standards in all areas of the Irish labour market.
I would also like to reiterate Labour Youth's firm and total opposition to any reintroduction of Work Permits for Migrant workers from the new accession states in the EU. Such a move would be a regressive action and only serve to build barriers of fear between Irish workers and Migrant workers in Ireland."

ENDS

For Further information please contact Graham O Maonaigh 086 8381556