Call for greater number of labour inspectors

31 Mar 2005

The Irish National Organisation of the Unemployed calls for an increased number of labour inspectors to help crack down on employers exploiting their staff. The recent cases of the Filipina on board the Irish Ferries ships, the Turkish construction employees and the refugee workers on the farm in Kilkenny all highlight the need for greater protection of non-national workers.

‘The current number of 21 labour inspectors for a workforce of 1.9 million is totally inadequate to ensure that workers are being paid correctly and treated properly’, said Eric Conroy, General Secretary INOU. ‘In instances of exploitation many workers are afraid to complain in case they lose their job or are deported. A fully comprehensive immigration policy is needed to ensure that this ‘slave labour’ does not continue and workers and their families are protected’.

Current immigration policy has evolved on an ad-hoc basis depending on the needs of the economy and accordingly access to the labour market can be varied through work visas, work permits etc. A comprehensive strategy needs to be adopted along with enforcement of legislation to protect all workers.