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Low Wage R estaurant Workers Protest Wage Attacks at Restaurant Association of Ireland's Gala Dinner
Restaurant Workers Stage Protest at Supermac's Galway Flagship Outlet
16 April 2010
Domestic Workers Action Week: 26 April - 1 May 2010
Undocumented Workers Scheme: information in different languages
Minister Ahern Must Take Action to Protect victims of Trafficking for Forced Labour (18 Mar 10)
Restaurant Workers Stage Protest at Supermac's, Responding to Industry's Attack on Wages(15 Mar 10)
(9 March 10)
Domestic Workers Protest at South African Embassy(4 Nov 09)
MRCI & ICTU Welcome Long-Awaited Scheme for Undocumented Workers(14 Sep 09)
New Guidelines Regarding Changes to nonEEA Workers (1 Sep 09)
VICTORY FOR MIGRANT WORKERS' CAMPAIGN (28 Aug 09)
Sharing good community work practice: Launch of 'Tools for Social Change' resource guide
Migrants Forum: The Migrants Forum is held on a Sunday, every 6 weeks from 2.00-5.00pm in the main hall in the Teachers Club, 36 Parnell Square West, Dublin 1.
E-bulletin - for updates on policy developments, changes in immigration procedures & practices, campaigns and events, check our latest e-bulletin - click here
Campaign for the Right to Change Employer
Migrant Workers Hold Demonstration at Batt O'Keeffe's Office
(Photo by Paula Geraghty)
2 June 2010 - The Government has the power to liberate thousands of workers from exploitation
Over 200 migrant workers from across the country, along with trade union, community sector and employer allies, held a demonstration outside the offices of the Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Innovation, Batt O’Keeffe, T.D., calling on him to give workers employed through the employment permit system the right to change employer.
The current employment permits system binds a worker to one employer. This is a leading factor in the exploitation of workers. The MRCI is seeking an administrative change which would give people the freedom to exit exploitative conditions and find alternative work within their job category, without having to go through an entirely new permit application with its unnecessary costs and delays. Many TDs are saying MRCI’s proposal is sensible and the right thing to do, as do ICTU and employer bodies.
“Minister Batt O'Keeffe's lack of action on our ongoing calls to give workers the right to change employer has led us to take action here today,” says Hilda Regasi, a migrant worker from the Philippines and campaign volunteer. “Each day that passes without action from Minister O’Keeffe only enables this kind of exploitation to continue.”
TAKE ACTION NOW!
View Campaign Video or view on You Tube
Sample letter to Minister Batt O'Keeffe
Campaign Ad(2 Jun 10) New*
Testimonies from workers:
Coverage of the Campaign
RTE Primetime(20 Apr 10)
Irish Times (3 Jun 10) New*
Irish Examiner (3 Jun 10) New*
Irish Independent (3 Jun 10) New*
Irish Times (14 Apr 10)
Irish Examiner (14 Apr 10)
Irish Independent (14 Apr 10)
Background:
The Migrant Rights Centre Ireland launched a campaign in April 2010 for the right of workers in the Employment Permit System to change employer. We are calling for Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Innovation, Batt O’Keeffe, to change the permit system to ensure workers can enjoy this basic and fundamental right.
There are approximately 25,000 migrant workers currently in the Employment Permit System in Ireland. These workers are only allowed to work for the employer designated on their permit. They are not allowed to freely change employer.
Binding a worker to an employer in this way is a leading factor in exploitation. Approximately 80% of all the cases taken by the Migrant Rights Centre Ireland involve workers in the permit system, many employed in low-wage sectors, such as agriculture, domestic work, hotels and restaurants.
To counter exploitation and to ensure a fair playing field for compliant employers, the employment permits system must change to give employment permit holders the right to change employer in their job sector. Workers in the permit system, as all workers, deserve this most basic and fundamental right.
Low Wage Restaurant Workers Protest Wage Attacks at Restaurant Association of Ireland's Gala Dinner - Wed 9th June 2010
The Restaurant Workers Action Group (RWAG), established by the Migrant Rights Centre Ireland, is staging a protest on Wednesday, 9 June at the Restaurant Association of Ireland’s sold-out black tie gala awards dinner at the Burlington Hotel in Dublin. The Restaurant Association of Ireland is calling for a reduction in the national minimum wage and an abolition of the Joint Labour Committee (JLC), the system that establishes wages and working conditions for catering and other industries.
The Restaurant Association of Ireland is lobbying the government to cut wages for some of the lowest-paid workers in the country. If successful, the attacks it is urging would reduce wages by about 20% - a huge blow for workers earning less than €20,000 per year. Many restaurant workers have had their income cut further because their hours have been reduced. All workers have already seen their wages cut through measures like the pension levy. “It is nothing less than shameful to attack the wages of those who are struggling the most,” says Siobhán O’Donoghue, Director of the Migrant Rights Centre Ireland.
Protesting workers will offer a contrasting scene to the champagne and cocktail reception, five-course meal, and black tie glamour inside the Restaurant Association of Ireland’s 2010 Awards Dinner. “Restaurant owners have money for champagne and lavish events, but they don’t have money to pay us? I don’t know any restaurant workers who attend extravagant events like this,” says Manohar Singh, a restaurant worker originally from India.
Restaurant Workers Protest at Supermac's Galway Flagship Outlet
16 April 2010
View film of the protest on You Tube
MRCI's Restaurant Workers Action Group staged a protest today at the flagship Supermac’s restaurant in Galway. Supermac’s is part of the Quick Service Food Alliance, an industry group mounting a legal challenge to the JLC (Joint Labour Committee) system which sets wages for the restaurant industry.
Supermac’s is a leading force in challenging wage protections for its workers, even though it saw its pre-tax profits quadruple last year.
According to Siobhán O’Donoghue, Director of the MRCI, “The restaurant industry is driving an attack on minimum wage rates and basic protections for workers. This is not about saving jobs - companies like Supermac’s have actually seen their profits increase dramatically, while lower-wage workers are struggling to survive. The industry’s attack on wages for the poorest workers is shameful. Now, more than ever, we must ensure protections remain in place for those who need them most.”
Full Press Release
Domestic Workers Action Week: 26 April - 1 May 2010
Taking Action for Rights, Dignity and Recognition for Domestic Workers!
The Domestic Workers Action Group celebrated May Day with a week of action to call for improved conditions and protections for workers employed in the private home.
SEE ACTION WEEK FLYER FOR MORE INFORMATION
View DWAG short documentaries on You Tube
Programme of Events:
• 26 April - 1 May: Photography Exhibitions in Liberty Hall, Trinity College Dublin and Dublin City Council's Wood Quay Venue
• Thu. 29 April: Launch of DWAG Documentaries ‘Hidden Voices: Stories from Behind Closed Doors’. 6:30-8:30pm, Wood Quay Venue, Dublin City Council Civic Offices
• Fri. 30 April: 'From Exploitation to Empowerment,' presentation by DWAG members in Seminar Room 3, 3 College Green, Trinity College Dublin, from 1-3pm
• Sat. 1 May: May Day Rally: Join DWAG members at the parade to celebrate International Labour Day. Meet 2:00pm, Parnell Square.
Undocumented Workers Scheme Update (8 April 2010)
In October the Irish Naturalisation and Immigration Service (INIS) published guidelines and an application form for some undocumented workers. See the links below for details. The MRCI campaigned several years for the introduction of this scheme which was known as the Bridging Visa.
Click for INIS Undocumented Worker Guidelines/Application Form
MRCI FAQs on Application for undocumented workers (English)
NOTE:If you receive a response from General Immigration granting a four-month Stamp 1, see 'STEP 2' in the 'Information points' leaflet in different languages below:
MRCI Information points for Applications:
New leaflet: Facts about migrant workers in Ireland (24 March 2010)
Migration forms a part of the structure of today’s globalised economy. It has become a fact of life for millions of people across the globe. In the same way that Irish people have emigrated, migrant workers from different countries have come to Ireland to live, work and raise their families. Migration will continue to be a feature of Irish life, now and into the future. Throughout history, migration has been accompanied by fears and negative myths and misinformation about newcomers. Many people do not have access to clear, accurate information about migrant workers. When left unchallenged, misinformation leads to prejudice, racism, discrimination and inequality. This leaflet is designed to provide information and answers to some common questions about migrant workers in Ireland.
Click here to download screen-view version of leaflet
Click here to download printable version of leaflet
Printing instructions: The pdf can be printed on A4 paper & folded/stapled to make a small, A5 leaflet. In your printer settings, choose 'landscape' orientation. It may also be necessary to choose 'short edge' or 'top' binding option, depending on your printer.
You can also just print the 'screen view' version on single A4 pages.
Minister Ahern Must Take Action to Protect victims of Trafficking for Forced Labour (18 March 2010)
Migrant Rights Centre Ireland today calls on the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform, Dermot Ahern, TD, to take serious action to protect the victims trafficking for forced labour. This call comes on foot of the case of a woman who has been held in prison despite the fact Gardaí were notified over five months ago that she was a potential victim of trafficking for forced labour.
Read more here
Restaurant Workers Stage Protest at Supermac's, Responding to Industry's Attack on Wages (15 March 2010)
Listen to statement by Siobhan O'Donoghue, Director of MRCI
The Restaurant Workers Action Group, established by the Migrant Rights Centre Ireland, is staging a protest on Monday, 15 March at 1:00pm at Supermac’s on O’Connell St. in Dublin. Supermac’s is part of the Quick Service Food Alliance, an industry group mounting a legal challenge to the JLC (Joint Labour Committee) system which sets wages for the restaurant industry.
Although Supermac’s saw its pre-tax profits quadruple last year, it is joining other restaurants in challenging wage protections for its workers. Restaurant owners and industry groups have been calling for the reduction of worker protections, including a €1 per hour cut in the national minimum wage; a weakening of the standards laid out in the JLC; and a challenge to the right of the JLC to determine working conditions.
Many restaurant workers have already seen their hours cut and are struggling to survive. Ms Gul Gencoglu, a restaurant worker in Naas, explains the hardship these proposed changes would cause, “If my wages were cut, I would not be able to pay my rent. I would have no choice but to turn to social welfare for assistance. This is not what I want. I want to work. I want to have decent conditions. I don’t want anything more than that.”
“We have heard from hundreds of restaurant workers reporting unfair treatment and conditions of exploitation over the years,” according to Siobhán O’Donoghue, Director of MRCI. “Yet restaurants like Supermac’s are looking for a reduction in wages and protections for workers. The restaurant industry is driving an agenda that is bad for low wage workers and bad for Ireland. This challenge is not about saving jobs. It is about cutting workers’ wages and increasing profits.”
Ms. O’Donoghue continues, “We are calling on the Tánaiste and Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment, Mary Coughlan, TD, to take immediate action to defend the wages of the lowest-paid workers from further attacks and cuts.”
Launch of MRCI pamphlet, Hidden Messages: Overt Agendas, written by Niall Crowley (9 March 2010)
"Political Rhetoric on Migrants Doesn’t Match Actions"
Today the Migrant Rights Centre Ireland (MRCI) is launching a pamphlet that critiques Ireland’s political leadership on migration, and its commitment to equality in the current recession.
The pamphlet, Hidden Messages: Overt Agendas, was written by Niall Crowley, equality expert and former CEO of the Equality Authority. It compares the messages political leaders have been sending out regarding migrant workers, with the policy decisions that they have made. The findings highlight a significant gap between what politicians say about migrant workers, and the actions that they take.
“All the international evidence highlights that migrant workers tend to be particularly badly hit in an economic recession,” according to Mr Crowley. “This is the experience of migrant workers in Ireland at this time. To make matters worse, in Ireland we have a political leadership on migration where the positive rhetoric of politicians is contradicted by their actions, where new policy has undermined equality for migrant workers and diminished their potential to contribute to economic recovery, and where international best practice is blatantly ignored. This does not bode well for migrants and their families, just as it does not bode well for Irish society and the Irish economy.”
Siobhán O’Donoghue, Director of MRCI, says, “On the one hand political leaders have broadly acknowledged the contribution of migrant workers, while on the other they oversee policy developments that are extremely harsh and have a damaging impact on migrant workers and their families. In addition, commitments are not followed through on that would give effect to their positive public statements’.
Ms O’Donoghue continued, “We hope this pamphlet will stimulate much-needed discussion on the importance of political leadership and action that supports equality for migrant workers.”
Click here to download a pdf of Hidden Messages: Overt Agendas
Click here for full press release
Domestic Workers Protest at South African Embassy (4 Oct. 09)
Members of the Domestic Workers Action Group gathered today in front of the South African Embassy in Dublin to protest the decision of the Embassy and Ambassador Pricilla Jana to invoke diplomatic immunity in an employment rights complaint taken against her by a domestic worker.
The employment rights complaint was brought by Ms. Valentyna Khristonsen, a Ukrainian national, who was employed between February 2006 and August 2008 as a domestic worker in the private residence of Ambassador Jana in Dublin. Ms. Khristonsen, who is being represented by the Migrant Rights Centre Ireland (MRCI), claims that her employment rights were violated and lodged formal complaints against Ambassador Jana with the Labour Relations Commission, including breaches of the Unfair Dismissals Act, the Payment of Wages Act, and the Organisation of Working Time Act.
“It is our view that Valentyna deserves the right to a hearing and due process regarding her grievance,” says Ann Guan of the Domestic Workers Action Group. “It is shameful and unfair that the ambassador is claiming diplomatic immunity and denying her this basic right. We will be calling on Minister for Foreign Affairs, Micheál Martin, TD, to intervene and urge the South African delegation to waive diplomatic immunity so that Valentyna can have the right to a fair hearing.”
New INIS & DETE Guidelines Regarding Changes to non-EEA Workers (1 Sep 09The Irish Naturalisation and Immigration Service (INIS) and the Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment (DETE) has issued some initial guidelines regarding the changes announced Friday, 28 August 2009, for nonEEA workers. The changes:
- double the length of time, from three to six months that a migrant worker has to seek alternative employment and get a new work permit (This applies to those with less than five years in the work permit system.)
- non-EEA migrant workers who have held permit for five years or more will be granted a new permission to live and work without the need to apply for another work permit.(See articles below for details and link to INIS and DETE websites)
IMPORTANT NOTE REGARDING THE LABOUR MARKET TEST and REDUNDANCY:
For non-EEA Work Permit holders who have been made redundant and still need a work permit because they do not yet qualify for the five year permission FÁS/EURES and newspaper advertisements (the Labour Market Needs Tests) are NOT required for new Work Permit applications when the work permit application is made and paid for by the employee and not the employer.
This means:
-On page 1 of the work permit application form, in response to the question ‘Who is the applicant?’, the EMPLOYEE box must be ticked.
-On page 5 (Part Four), payment details must be completed by the EMPLOYEE
This policy is based on Section 10 of the Employment Permit Act 2006.
If you have any queries regarding this you can contact the Migrant Rights Centre Ireland Email: info@mrci.ie / Tel: 01-8897570.
*Disclaimer: These materials have been prepared by the Migrant Rights Centre Ireland (MRCI) for information purposes only with no guarantee as to accuracy or applicability to a particular set of circumstances. The materials are not intended and should not be considered to be legal advice. The information given may change from time-to-time and may be out of date. The Migrant Rights Centre Ireland disclaims any legal responsibility for the content or the accuracy of the information provided.
Printable version click here
VICTORY for migrant workers' campaign (28 Aug 09)
The Migrant Rights Centre Ireland is celebrating a significant victory regarding the announcement today by the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform, Dermot Ahern, TD, together with the Tánaiste and Minister for Enterprise Trade and Employment, Mary Coughlan, TD, to change the rules regarding non-EEA migrant workers who have been made redundant.
The changes announced will double the length of time, from three to six months that a migrant worker has to seek alternative employment. In addition, non-EEA migrant workers who have lived and worked in Ireland for five years under the work permit system will be granted a new permission to live and work without the need to apply for another work permit.
"This victory is as a result of a hard fought campaign to change the unjust and cruel policies that were introduced by the government back in June. This campaign was driven by migrant workers themselves together with the support of trade unions, employer bodies, the faith community and other immigrant organisations," says Bill Abom, Deputy Director of the MRCI. "While there are still several issues and barriers to overcome both Minister Ahern and the Tánaiste have heard the collective voice of migrant workers and have done the right thing."
Mr. Abom says, "These changes will make a significant difference in the lives of thousands of non-EEA migrant workers who have committed themselves to Ireland, but whose lives have been hanging in the balance. These changes give migrant workers greater equality and greater opportunity to support their families and to contribute to Irish society."
Click here for Press Announcement from Department of Justice, Equality and Law Reform (28 Aug 2009).
Sharing good community work practice:
Launch of 'Tools for Social Change' resource guide
In association with the Centre for Applied Social Studies, NUI Maynooth and the Community Workers Cooperative, MRCI has developed a resource guide for community work with migrant workers and their families. The aim of ‘Tools for Social Change’ is to illustrate a community work approach to working with migrant workers and their families, in a practical and engaging manner that both provides theory and supports the development of good community work practice. The guide is intended to be an active tool to support community workers in their work, and contains a mixture of social analysis and useful information in the form of support sheets and case studies from MRCI and around the country. Important stages and developments in adopting a community work approach and key learning points are outlined throughout.
The resource guide is influenced by a set of core values and principles informing community work (as set out in the recent publication ‘Towards Standards for Quality Community Work – An All Ireland Statement of Values, Principles and Work Standards’ – see www.cwc.ie). MRCI hopes it will be a useful contribution to the development of good community work practice in Ireland, particularly in relation to working with migrant workers and their families.
Click here to download the resource guide
Click here to download order form and order copies
Migrants Forum
The Migrants Forum is held on a Sunday, approximately every 6 weeks, from 2.00-5.00pm in the main hall in the Teachers Club, 36 Parnell Square West, Dublin 1.
The date for the next Forum will be posted here soon. Contact info@mrci.ie for more information.
E-Bulletin
For more updates on policy developments, changes in immigration procedures & practices, campaigns and events, click below
for our latest e-bulletin.
- 9 March 2010 - Political Rhetoric Doesn't Match Actions
- 18 December 2009 - Domestic Worker Denied Right to Hearing
- 17 December 2009 - Migrants Renew Calls to Ratify U.N. Convention
- 26 Nov 09 Domestic Workers Seek Justice from South African Ambassador
- 24 Nov. 09 Irish Times Poll - MRCI Calls for Political Leadership on Migration
- 04 Nov. 09 Domestic Workers to Protest at South African Embassy
- 19 Oct. 09 EU Anti Trafficking Day: MRCI Calls for Increased Focus on Combatting Forced Labour in Ireland
- 01 October 2009- Combating Forced Labour in Ireland
- 14 Septbember 2009 - MRCI & ICTU Welcome Long-Awaited Scheme for Undocumented Migrant Workers
- 28 August 2009 - Victory for Migrant Workers' Campaign
- 24 August 2009 - New Fee for Long Term Residency is Shameful and Underhanded
- 10 June 2009 - Migrants Trafficked for Forced Labour Must Be Identified and Protected
- 26 May 2009- Demonstration Tomorrow to Stop Work Permit Changes
- 20 May 2009 - Calls on Tanaiste to Postpone Work Permit Changes
- 21st April 2009 - MRCI Launches First Ever Guide on Community Work with Migrant Workers
- 15th April 2009 - MRCI Calls on Tanaiste to Abandon Proposed Changes to Employment Permits System