A demonstration was held in Dublin today over the right of migrant workers to change their employer.
Up to 200 workers, banging drums, blowing whistles and carrying placards reading "work permit = licence to exploit", took part in the march outside the Department of Enterprise, Trade and Innovation.
A delegation representing the migrant workers delivered a letter to Minister for Enterprise Batt O'Keeffe, who they say they have made numerous requests to meet over the issue.
Siobhán O'Donoghue, director of the Migrant Rights Centre Ireland (MRCI) said the organisation simply want a forum to sit down with the minister to discuss what she said is a "very reasonable proposal" on behalf of migrant workers in Ireland.
The MRCI said the current system means that migrant workers are unable to leave exploitative working conditions because of the rigid and inflexible employment permits system.
Siptu vice president Patricia King offered a message of solidarity to the workers, who she said were some of the "most vulnerable" in society.
Zeno Arumugan, who is from Malaysia, was let go from his former employment and is having difficulty in securing a new work permit. Although his old permit does not expire until 2011 it is now "worth nothing".
He said that he and 25,000 workers like him are unable to change employee as they are bound the employer listed on their permits. If they cannot continue in that employment then they have to reapply, paying €1,000 for a year-long permit which can take four months or longer to process.
Olga Dubyna was unfairly dismissed in 2003 while on a migrant visa and later won her case against her employer at the Employment Appeals Tribunal.
She said the situation facing migrant workers was "bound labour". "The whole idea of not being able to change employer if you want to is unfair. We are asking for fair treatment, not special treatment," she said.
Speaking at the protest Labour's justice spokesman Pat Rabbitte said there was "no economic argument" to stop people being employed by whoever they wanted.