Section 39 pay restoration
Deputy Kelly raises section 39 workers outside his office seeking pay restoration and says Labour supports them. The Taoiseach recalls earlier negotiations, says such disputes should be handled through the proper forums including the WRC, and notes the budget provided extra support to section 39 organisations.
I am not sure if the Taoiseach is aware that a number of section 39 workers represented by SIPTU and Fórsa are demonstrating outside his constituency office in Cork at the moment. They have submitted a claim for pay restoration which the Labour Party supports. These workers have done Trojan work throughout the pandemic and are most valuable members of our community. I sat beside the current Minister for Health when in he was Opposition spokesperson on health and he supported this claim, in great voice. He wondered why such a simple issue could not be dealt with by the then Government and Minister. Now it is down to the Taoiseach and the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform, Deputy Michael McGrath. Will the Government honour what it said in opposition and deal with this relatively simple issue for workers that we all value?
Comment on this
I remember that occasion well. I also remember when the trade unions engaged with the Government and said they were in a process
Comment on this
They were in a process with the then Government at the time. That is what happened with that particular campaign at that particular time. Some of it was resolved at the higher level in terms of the larger organisations but there was engagement between the unions and the HSE at the WRC. We would seek to have these issues resolved through the proper forums. Of course section 39 workers are essential and section 39 organisations make an enormous contribution. To that end, in the recent budget we made very significant allocations to those organisations over and above the norm in terms of supporting them to get through Covid-19 and beyond.