Tech layoffs and job support
Deputy Bacik raised redundancies in the technology sector and concerns about compliance with redundancy consultation rules, urging workers to organise. The Tánaiste said unemployment is at a historic low and stressed the State should help displaced workers move into new jobs.
In recent months, we have seen announcement after announcement of layoffs across many big technology companies, in particular, in Dublin. The impact of these redundancies has obviously been huge for those directly and indirectly impacted, not only in my own constituency of Dublin Bay South but across the country. The impact is more worrying where there are concerns regarding a lack of compliance by companies with redundancy rules, such as the 30-day statutory consultation period.
I encourage all tech workers to join a trade union to ensure rights are protected. While I welcome the announcement today of Cabinet plans to strengthen rights around collective redundancies, I ask that the Government would go further. I believe we need to see comprehensive strengthening of collective bargaining rights and the Government should ensure a right to organise to ensure that workers can insulate themselves from the worst impacts of layoffs. Does the Tánaiste acknowledge that this series of redundancies proves the need to introduce a right to organise in unions and commit to establishing a task force to support tech workers now facing layoffs?
Comment on this
The unemployment figure today, at 3.9%, is the lowest ever in the history of the State in the context of a rising population. Over the past 20 or 25 years, the population has risen quite dramatically, yet our economy has really kept pace. The rate of 3.9% is the lowest unemployment rate in the history of the State. What it indicates is there is absorption capacity within the State in terms of those who will or have lost jobs in certain sectors. That is a very traumatic issue for the people concerned who lose jobs and the State needs to do everything we possibly can to support people to get new jobs and, if necessary, to train and reskill them to get alternative jobs.
In terms of collective bargaining, there has been significant work done in partnership with the trade union movement. Under the Labour Employer Economic Forum, LEEF, umbrella, last year the Government took very significant steps forward on that.