Labour publishes measures to tackle 'race to the bottom'

The Labour Party has published a policy document designed to address the so-called "race to the bottom" in the Irish jobs market.

The document proposes a brand new green-card system that does not bind workers to a particular employer, as well as improved labour inspections and greater enforcement of labour law.

It also includes measures to tackle bogus subcontractors and a proposal that all contractors working for public bodies be required to meet minimum labour standards.

The policy has been drawn up in response to growing concerns about the exploitation of migrant workers and the replacement of Irish employees with cheaper labour from abroad.

The issue has been on the public agenda in recent times as a result of Irish Ferries' move to sack its Irish workforce and replace them with Latvian staff who would be paid less than the minimum wage.

Last year, the construction firm Gama was also found to have been paying its Turkish employees in Ireland as little as €2-an-hour for working up to 80 hours-a-week.