Category: Enterprise Trade & Employment
Good jobs key to O’Connell Street regeneration
Clerys Quarter must be the benchmark for community benefits Labour spokesperson on workers’ rights, Senator Marie Sherlock said today (Wednesday, 16th November) said that good jobs with decent terms and conditions, as promised by developers taking over the Clery’s building, is one of the key measures needed for the historic street’s regeneration. Senator Sherlock said:…
Read more »New national industrial policy framework long overdue says Nash
Framework must pivot towards growth of exporting indigenous companies Opposition parties must be briefed on tech job losses Labour enterprise spokesperson Ged Nash has today warned that unless a new national industrial policy framework prioritised the scaling up of indigenous Irish enterprise, Ireland will continue to be exposed to a dangerous and excessive reliance on…
Read more »Workers must be protected from lay offs and redundancies this winter
Prospect of economic crunch demands robust planning by Government Labour spokesperson on workers rights Marie Sherlock said protecting work and livelihoods must be at the core of government strategy this winter. With recent announcements by major employers, coupled with today’s significant downward assessment by Ibec on the Irish economy next year, many people will be…
Read more »Government must act quickly to implement landmark collective bargaining recommendations
Labour spokesperson for Workers Rights, Senator Marie Sherlock has today (Wednesday 5th October) warmly welcomed the work of the High-Level Group on Collective Bargaining and Industrial Relations and said the ball is now firmly in the Government’s court to implement the very clear, incisive and landmark recommendations. Senator Sherlock said: “Labour wants to see the…
Read more »PhD staff left below the breadline
Labour spokesperson on Further and Higher Education Annie Hoey said the paltry increase of €500 in stipends for PhD staff will leave workers below the breadline. Senator Hoey said until a Living Wage is provided to all PhD staff we will continue to see an exodus of researchers from this country. Senator Hoey said: “The…
Read more »Serious questions for Low Pay Commission says Sherlock
Admission they don’t look at profitability of sectors with most minimum wage workers Labour’s Worker’s rights spokesperson Marie Sherlock has today (Wednesday, 28th September) expressed grave concerns over the Low Pay Commission’s admission about how they assess the appropriate national minimum wage. Speaking following a meeting of the Joint Oireachtas Committee on Enterprise Trade and…
Read more »Budget 2023 must provide a fair increase in social welfare payments
€20 increase must be provided Labour social protection spokesperson Seán Sherlock has demanded that government meet the rate of inflation and provide a €20 increase to social welfare payments. Speaking in advance of Budget 2023, Deputy Sherlock said double payments must made in October and December to give people a chance this winter. Deputy Sherlock…
Read more »Government is dodging its responsibility to care and community sector
Thousands of care and community sector workers taking strike action this week deserve better than a Government which continually seeks to dodge its responsibilities towards them and those who rely on the vital services they provide, says Labour Health Spokesman, Duncan Smith. After a visiting a picket line held by hundreds of SIPTU, Forsa and…
Read more »Real cut in the minimum wage rise shows Government’s head is in the clouds
Labour Party spokesperson on employment rights Marie Sherlock has tonight (13th September) said the proposed increase in the minimum wage amounts to a real cut in wages for the lowest paid as we face double digit inflation . The six month wait to January 2023 is simply intolerable as more and more people face poverty…
Read more »Wage support scheme needed to protect jobs this winter
Drogheda’s Premier Periclase plant ‘canary in coalmine’ as redundancy notices set to be issued Planned energy supports won’t be sufficient to stave off job losses in industry Labour finance spokesperson Ged Nash has called today (Tuesday, 7th September) on the government to create a new short-term wage support scheme to help protect jobs and firms most at…
Read more »Striking journalists deserve respect and fair pay
Labour Party Senator and spokesperson for Employment Affairs, Marie Sherlock. has today (Wednesday, 31st August) said that management at Reach newspapers must respect its workers and negotiate with the National Union of Journalists (NUJ) on fair pay and conditions. Speaking at a solidarity action in support of over 1,150 striking journalists across Ireland and the…
Read more »Government must take the lead and provide pay rises for squeezed workers
Government sitting on Low Pay Commission recommendation on minimum wage Report must be published now and rise introduced in October, not January Labour finance spokesperson Ged Nash has said both private and public sector workers need an immediate and significant pay rise to combat the cost of living crisis. Responding to Bank of Ireland’s Economic…
Read more »Lack of imagination will lead to strike action
Labour employment affairs spokesperson, Marie Sherlock has today (Tuesday, 19th July) warned that the lack of imagination shown by the Government to deal with public sector pay will lead to strike action this autumn. Senator Sherlock said: “It’s over a month since the breakdown of negotiations between unions and public sector employers. Workers are frustrated,…
Read more »Maximum temperature limits needed in law for all workplaces
Labour Party Senator and spokesperson for Employment Affairs, Marie Sherlock. has today (Monday, 18th July) called for the immediate introduction of legally defined maximum temperature limits for outdoor and indoor work in Ireland as we face the likelihood of increased summer temperatures. Senator Sherlock said: “Temperatures hitting in excess of 30 degrees may feel like…
Read more »Government must prevent ‘summer of discontent’ across community sector
The Government should immediately engage with trade unions representing workers in the care and community sector following the announcement of industrial action across the sector, beginning next month, according to Labour spokesperson on health and disability, Duncan Smith. “At the weekend SIPTU members in the Irish Wheelchair Association (IWA) announced that they would conduct a…
Read more »Richmond Road closure demands govt action on artists’ spaces
Labour arts spokesperson Marie Sherlock has said the closure of Richmond Road studios today (Thursday, 23rdJune) marks a sad day for Dublin and the artists’ community. With 20 artists’ studios in Dublin closing over the past 10 years, Senator Sherlock said government must put a strategy in place to support artistic workplaces. Senator Sherlock said:…
Read more »Minister must intervene to settle Covid test centre swabbers pay dispute
Labour health spokesperson Duncan Smith has today (Thursday, 23rd June) challenged the Minister for Health, Simon Donnelly to step up and resolve an escalating dispute between SIPTU and public health service management over a review of pay rates for Covid test centre swabbers. Deputy Smith said: “It is utterly unacceptable that the HSE and Department…
Read more »Bitter pill of public sector pay restoration for the highest paid means public sector talks must restart now
Commenting on the public sector pay restoration, Labour employment spokesperson Marie Sherlock has today (Wednesday, 22nd June) said Government must urgently re-start public sector pay talks and put adequate pay increases proposals on the table for low and middle paid public sector workers. Senator Sherlock said: “Public sector unions have rightly said they will not…
Read more »Workers can’t wait for a living wage says Sherlock
Government pushing Living Wage commitment beyond lifetime of its term in office is unacceptable Labour employment and workers’ rights spokesperson, Marie Sherlock has today (Tuesday, 14th June) sharply criticised Minister for Enterprise Trade and Employment, Leo Varadkar over meek proposals to introduce a Living Wage in Ireland on a phased basis by 2026. Senator Sherlock…
Read more »Promise of “free hot desks” doomed to fail without a proper right to flexible work
Labour Party spokesperson on employment and workers’ rights, Marie Sherlock, has today (8th June) said the shockingly low uptake of “free hot desks” to support remote working is down to the Government’s failure to take remote working seriously and legislating for a right to flexible work. Senator Sherlock said: “The Government announcement of 10,000 free…
Read more »Real and meaningful action needed now from Government to support hard pressed workers and families
Government must act now to support all wage earners. An increase in small benefit exemption an easy and meaningful first step Reacting to reports that there will be no meaningful action before October to address the spiralling cost of living, Labour Senator Marie Sherlock has today (Wednesday, 1st June) said the Government cannot keep hiding…
Read more »Time for government to get real about flexible work
Supporting the call of Grow Remote for a right to flexible work, Labour employment spokesperson Marie Sherlock has today (Tuesday, 26th April) called on government to fast-track Labour’s Right to Flexible Work Bill 2022. Speaking ahead of the resumption of pre-legislative scrutiny of the Right to Request Remote Working Bill 2022 at the Oireachtas Enterprise…
Read more »Ongoing insecurity of SNA role must be reviewed
Following a seminar hosted by Labour Party, Labour education spokesperson Aodhán Ó Ríordáin and employment spokesperson Marie Sherlock have called for stronger workers’ rights for SNAs. Deputy Ó Ríordáin said: “In the week of teachers’ unions conferences, we in the Labour Party wanted to highlight the disparity in terms and conditions between SNAs and their…
Read more »Labour says Government sick pay scheme leaves low paid workers short changed
Labour employment spokesperson Marie Sherlock has today (Wednesday, 30th March) said the Government’s Sick Pay scheme is too timid and fails to sufficiently protect the thousands of low to middle income earning people who will be out of pocket, if out sick. Senator Sherlock said: “Finally, and at a snail’s pace, we seem to be…
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