We are calling upon Minister Alan Dillon to protect migrant workers from exploitation
We all want to feel protected at work. Nobody should have to face poor conditions or exploitation. But MRCI has seen an increase in cases of exploitation coming to our doors. Many workers with work permits are reporting significant employment rights breaches.  Â
The only way to protect workers is to give them rights and the ability to stand up for themselves. Â
People on general employment permits are doing essential jobs like caring for us, looking after older people, picking, packing and cooking food, driving buses and building houses. They deserve to be treated fairly in this work, but they currently have less rights than critical skills permit holders like engineers and software developers.Â
Migrant workers are regularly exploited because their ability to change job is severely restricted and the penalties for exploitative employers are miniscule.Â
Sign this petition to put pressure on Minister Alan Dillon to grant all work permit holders the ability to freely change employers after two years.Â
This is a right already afforded to critical skills permit holders. Why are carers or agricultural workers treated differently?Â
Take action now. Â
We all deserve the right to work in dignity and safety, to be paid a decent wage and to be free from discrimination or exploitation. Irish people know better than most what it is like to experience exploitation and discrimination after moving to a new country. Â
Sign the petition and show we value migrant workers in Ireland and stand in solidarity with them.Â
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Employment Permit Equality Campaign
We all deserve the right to work in dignity and safety, to be paid a decent wage and to be free from discrimination or exploitation.
Irish people know better than most what it is like to experience exploitation and discrimination after moving to a new country.  People on general employment permits are doing essential jobs like looking after older people, picking, packing and cooking food, driving busses and building houses. They deserve to be treated fairly in this work but they currently have less rights than critical skills permit holders like engineers and software developers. Â
But MRCI has seen an increase in cases of exploitation coming to our doors. Many workers with work permits are reporting significant employment rights breaches.   Â
Migrant workers are regularly exploited because their ability to change job is severely restricted and the penalties for exploitative employers are miniscule.  Â
We all want to feel protected at work. Nobody should have to face poor conditions or exploitation.Â
Ireland needs to show that we value the people who come to work and make their lives here and protect all workers from exploitation and poor conditions.Â
The Irish Government must give general employment permit holders the freedom to work in any job and sector after two years so that they are able to stand up for themselves against exploitation. This would mean that migrant workers can stand up to exploitative employers and can leave their jobs if they need to.  Â
All essential workers must be treated equally and must be granted the basic rights already afforded to critical skills permit holders.
This campaign has an active community of over 500 members. A core group of over 25 people meet regularly to make key decisions about the campaign.  This campaign has managed to secure the ability for all permit holders to change employer while remaining on their existing permit and secured the right to work for spouses of general employment permit holders. This was a long and courageous battle that was won by hundreds of brave activists in this campaign over many years.  Â
Building on these improvements, we are calling on the Irish Government to protect migrant workers from exploitation and poor treatment at work by allowing people on work permits to move jobs with ease.Â
