Sinn Féin spokesperson on Enterprise, Trade and Employment, Louise O’Reilly TD, has today said that data she received from the Workplace Relations Commission shows that employment law abuse is out of control across the economy. The Fingal TD revealed that 47 percent of WRC investigations found workers’ rights were being abused. Teachta O’Reilly said: “The Workplace Relations Commission (WRC) does fantastic work on behalf of employees across this state. “Last year the WRC carried out 4,727 inspection cases across all sectors of the economy. “From these inspections 2,221 breaches of employment law were detected – a 47 percent breach rate. “This data highlights a very disturbing practice of the widespread abuse of workers and workers’ rights. “No longer can industry and government claim that workers’ rights abuses are insignificant in number and only carried out by a minority of rogue firms – the breach rate is astonishing and endemic in every sector of the economy. “Businesses who break employment law put workers, decent businesses, and the economy at risk. “This illegal and horrible way to treat workers also puts decent and compliant businesses at a competitive disadvantage. “The only way to combat this unscrupulous practice is to deliver a right to organise and collective bargaining, strengthen the core suite of employment law, and funding the WRC to carry out a greater number of investigations across the whole economy.” The response to Teachta O’Reilly’s Parliamentary Question can be read here. |
March 25, 2024
WRC data shows abuse of workers’ rights is out of control – Louise O’Reilly TD