Applus migrant worker complaint
Deputy Bríd Smith condemned alleged abusive treatment of Filipino workers by a company running the NCT service. The Taoiseach said he had not seen the report and would pass the matter to the relevant Minister and committee.
The Taoiseach probably read the article at the weekend that told us a senior executive at the company, Applus, which is responsible for running the National Car Test Service, a service that is delivered by the State and contracted out, wrote to a number of Filipino migrant workers and told them that if they do not stop making noise in their accommodation, “I do not want you here in Ireland.” He wrote: “Your number one reason to be in Ireland is to work. … Do it, or I will solve the problem”. That sounds like a slave owner of the 1800s talking to his slaves. We cannot tolerate a company that is basically run at the behest of the Irish State speaking about and to workers like that. Will the Taoiseach join with me in condemning those statements and emails from the head of Applus? Will he support me in calling on this executive to appear before the Oireachtas transport committee and to explain how he feels it is appropriate to speak to workers in this way, to threaten and to bully migrant workers in our NCT?
Comment on this
I have not read the article, I have not heard either side of the story and I do not know the facts, so I do not want to comment on them in any detail. I will certainly let the Minister for Finance and the Chairman of the transport committee know that the Deputy raised it here and perhaps they can take it further.