The Labour party pledged today to reform the State’s statutory redundancy laws. The party said it would amend the law so that workers who lost their jobs would be legally entitled to a minimum of three weeks pay for each year worked.
The current entitlement is only one week's pay per year of service for workers aged over 41, and half a week for younger people. Statutory entitlements have not increased since the Redundancy Payments Act was passed in 1967.
Launching the party’s proposal on workers rights today, Labour party leader Mr Ruairi Quinn TD said his party would also strengthen the Minimum Wage Act and legislate for an increase in the minimum wage.
He was speaking outside the Irish Glass Bottle plant in Ringsend today where 300 workers are expected to lose their jobs shortly.
Speaking outside the Irish Glass Bottle plant in Ringsend today where 300 workers are expected to lose their jobs shortly, Labour TD Mr Pat Rabbitte said: "In common with over 20,000 Irish workers who have been made redundant in the past year, IGB workers may soon encounter an unfair and inadequate statutory redundancy regime.
As part of the party’s proposal on workers rights he said the ‘Whistleblowers Protection Bill’ would be enacted to protect employees who report wrongdoing.
Mr Rabbitte said any company which endangers its workers would be open to a new sanction of corporate manslaughter.
The Labour party has also promised to introduce two new public holidays.