Agency worker legislation comes under spotlight

AS the Dáil prepares to discuss the Agency Workers’ Bill next week, it has been claimed Ireland is now the only country in Europe which has not made any move to give agency workers equal pay and treatment with their permanent colleagues.

The Irish Congress of Trade Unions has written to Employment Minister and Tánaiste Mary Coughlan to demand she end what they see as an unjust situation where agency workers get less pay and worse conditions than permanent staff.

They want to give workers in Ireland the rights enjoyed by their counterparts in Europe. It said the introduction into the British parliament of draft legislation to give effect to the EU Directive on agency workers meant Ireland was the only country that had not acted.