Brian Stanley: Make Trade Union Representation a Legal Right
Brian Stanley addressed the Dáil urging the government to legislate for legal trade union access, representation and collective bargaining because workers are being left behind. He also condemned the decision to defer living wage reform until 2029 and exposed the exploitation of young workers on sub-minimum pay.
Brian Stanley argued that collective bargaining and trade union representation should be mandatory. He said the state is out of step with the rest of Europe and pointed to widespread casualisation, low pay, precarious hours and bogus self-employment as reasons urgent reform is needed.
Stanley invoked the memory of Connolly and Larkin, saying it has been 113 years since those labour struggles and yet basic rights for workers remain incomplete. He criticised vague programme-for-government commitments and called for clear legal protections instead of promises.
Stanley cited union density figures and warned that 78% of the workforce is effectively excluded from collective bargaining because only 22% are union members in 2024, a level identified by the Irish Congress of Trade Unions as second lowest in the European Union. He described employer resistance, victimisation of organising workers and age-based pay discrimination for those under 20.
He urged the government to give trade unions legal access to workplaces, to grant legal rights to trade union representation and collective bargaining on pay and conditions, and to implement the living wage now rather than waiting until 2029. He called for an end to the sub-minimum wage for young workers and for immediate action to protect those who keep the country running.
What he said
Brian Stanley argued that collective bargaining and trade union representation should be mandatory. He said the state is out of step with the rest of Europe and pointed to widespread casualisation, low pay, precarious hours and bogus self-employment as reasons urgent reform is needed.
Historical context
Stanley invoked the memory of Connolly and Larkin, saying it has been 113 years since those labour struggles and yet basic rights for workers remain incomplete. He criticised vague programme-for-government commitments and called for clear legal protections instead of promises.
Statistics and consequences
Stanley cited union density figures and warned that 78% of the workforce is effectively excluded from collective bargaining because only 22% are union members in 2024, a level identified by the Irish Congress of Trade Unions as second lowest in the European Union. He described employer resistance, victimisation of organising workers and age-based pay discrimination for those under 20.
What he demands
He urged the government to give trade unions legal access to workplaces, to grant legal rights to trade union representation and collective bargaining on pay and conditions, and to implement the living wage now rather than waiting until 2029. He called for an end to the sub-minimum wage for young workers and for immediate action to protect those who keep the country running.
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Transcript
Thanks Cathaoirleach and welcome to proposals in this motion. Collective bargaining, trade union representation, it's long, long past the time that this was made mandatory. We're 113 years after Connolly and Larkin led the lockout here in this town, in this city, for basic rights for workers. Basic rights, and this state is completely at odds with the rest of Europe in not recognising the right of trade union representation and collective bargaining. All there is in the programme for government is vague commitments. Yes, we have a high level of employment, but we also have a high level of poor quality jobs, and that continues to be a problem. A large percentage of those jobs are poor quality and low paid. There's widespread casualisation, short term contracts, precarious hours, bogus self-employment, and it could go on. And this has been resisted by many employers. There's reports of victimisation of those who try to join or recruit for a trade union. Union membership, when you talk about, government will talk about collective bargaining and social partnership. There's 78% of the workers force in this state locked out of that because there's only 22% in unions in 2024. Second lowest union membership in the European Union according to the Irish Congress of Trade Unions. The government needs to now legislate to give trade unions legal access to workplaces and to organise, and to provide legal rights for trade union representation and collective bargaining on paying conditions etc. And just on the living wage, it's disappointing that the can is kicked down the road again on this minister. This should have been brought forward and done a lot sooner. The minimum wage, while it has been increased a small amount, it doesn't cut it. And young workers, young workers under 20, they're being exploited. Some of them are just getting 70%, 70% of the minimum wage from what's called a sub-minimum wage. But they're doing the same job. It's age-based discrimination. The minister recently decided to defer any reform on the living wage until 2029 and that's disgraceful. So big business is being well looked after, very well looked after in the last budget and in legislation and everything in this Dáil. Workers are left behind and it's now time to give basic rights to workers. Those who do get up early in the morning, those who do keep this country running. And a legal right to representation by a trade union and membership of it is a must. While you can join it, you can't be represented by it. Access to the workplace for union reps is essential and to bring forward also the implementation of the living wage. That must be rescinded. That has to wait until 2029. And we need to deal with the exploitation of young workers under 20 who are doing the same work but who are on this so-called sub-minimum wage. That is not acceptable. That is discrimination against young workers.