Proposals to to give employment rights entitlements to fixed-term contract workers will shortly be brought before the Government by the Minister for Labour Affairs, Mr Frank Fahey.
The proposed Bill will provide for the removal of discrimination against fixed-term workers, Mr Fahey said. It will also guarantee that fixed-term workers may not be treated less favourably than comparable permanent workers.
Currently, 68,000 workers, or four per cent of the Irish labour market, are employed on fixed-term contracts. Many of those are in public sector jobs like teaching and healthcare.
The proposed Bill will also improve the quality of fixed-term work by putting limits on the number of times fixed-term contracts can be renewed with the objective being to move such workers into permanent employment.
It will also oblige employers to inform fixed-term workers about vacancies for permanent employment that become available in the work-place.
The Minister said he hoped to have the Bill published in the near future and bring it before the Oireachtas in the next session.