Fine Gael contempt for Section 39 organisations must end
- Labour will deliver pay parity for Section 39 workers.
- Workers must be valued and respected to address recruitment and retention crisis.
- Multi-annual funding needed for Community and Voluntary Sector.
Responding to the Taoiseach’s encounter with a Section 39 worker, Labour spokesperson on workers’ rights, Marie Sherlock said that Labour will ensure workers are valued and respected, put in place multi-annual funding and deliver pay parity for Section 39 workers.
Senator Sherlock said:
“The contemptible attitude of Fine Gael to Section 39 organisations must end. The woman Simon Harris met yesterday crystalised the years of neglect of Section 39 workers in one short exchange. Despite multiple opportunities, Fine Gael, Fianna Fáil, and the Greens have all but ignored workers in the community and voluntary sector who deliver essential services through Section 39 organisations.
“As recently as 2023 Labour tabled a comprehensive motion in the Dáil to provide for pay parity for these workers who are locked out of public sector pay agreements.
“In our manifesto we commit to giving them a seat at the table as they deliver essential public services in the health and disability sector.
“The lack of pay parity has caused a recruitment and retention crisis for the sector as staff leave to work in the HSE doing the same job for better pay and conditions. Labour is committed to funding the real cost of services and providing ringfenced multi-annual funding to protect services.
“It is simply unacceptable to have a two-tier system in place. Workers and service users deserve better.
“Today Labour published our comprehensive proposals for a new social contract for care that will value care workers and put in place Joint Labour Committees for the Home Care and Nursing Home Sectors to set a floor on terms and conditions. We will also progressively in-source public services that have been contracted out to for profit, private providers.”