Speech of David Joyce, Irish Worker Delegate
I congratulate the DG for choosing the issue of advancing social justice for both his report to the ILC and his initiative for a new Global Coalition. On this special day, the World Day against child labour, let me start by saying that the abolition of child labour is a cornerstone of social justice and I once again urge the Irish Government to engage constructively with the initiative and to give serious consideration to joining Alliance 8.7.The persistence of Child Labour is indicative of the lack of satisfactory solutions to the multiple challenges and changes in the world of work.
In Northern Ireland the negative consequences of Brexit, a political impasse and the failed austerity policies of the British government continue to deny social justice there. Trade unions are engaged in widespread industrial action in support of workers and their families. While the restoration of devolved government is urgent, it is only the first step in a recovery that will only be fully realised through a change in the economic policies of the Government in London.
In the Republic of Ireland, there have been some positive developments, including:
· The very welcome ratification of ILO Convention 190;
· The Work Life Balance Act, which delivers a range of initiatives to help workers reconcile work and caring responsibilities including the right to request remote working and paid leave for victims of domestic violence;
· Publication of new National Action Plan against Racism
· Introduction of sick pay;
- Early Years Employment Regulation Order - Early Years Professionals securing first pay deal setting minimum wages in sector
· Large companies reporting gender pay gaps; and,
· Most significant of all is the fact that we are on the verge of finally addressing our collective bargaining deficit through the implementation of the EU Minimum Wages Directive which will promote collective bargaining and abolish the reductions and deductions under the minimum wage for all young workers. We intend to mount a robust and comprehensive campaign to ensure this occurs. A successful transposition of the Directive will unleash the power of collective bargaining to advance equality and foster inclusion in our country.
But many challenges remain, including:
· a cost of living crisis with one in 5 workers low paid ;
· Failure to implement the practice and principle of a Just Transition in seeking to lower carbon emissions;
· The proportion of adults who experienced sexual violence in their lifetime is 40%, with higher levels for women (52%) compared with men (28%) . 60% of those who experienced sexual harassment, did so at work ;
· Poor labour market outcomes for minority groups, including Travellers and Roma
· The rise of the far right taking advantage of these crises to divide working people (including a deep housing crisis and an accommodation crisis for those seeking international protection).
Corporate greed is also serious obstacle to achieving the SDGs by 2030 and we believe a world that leaves no one behind should hold corporations to account through mandatory human rights due diligence, including grievance procedures to effectively remedy violations.
Ireland will undergo a voluntary national review at the UN next month and we believe these key challenges must be addressed if Goal 8 and the full Agenda 2030 is to be achieved. We fully support ITUC priorities for the September SDG Summit: a New Social Contract rooted in a gender transformative agenda for recovery and resilience.
I would also note the report on the situation of workers in the Occupied Territories, which paints a bleak and distressing picture. It highlights the need for urgent action to deliver social justice to people of Palestine.
Incidences of discrimination against Palestinians in the application of regulations and policy, as outlined in the report, are increasingly characterised as apartheid and one wonders how many more of these kind of reports we need before the international community moves beyond mere condemnation to holding Israel accountable.
In Pride month, may I also send our solidarity to our LGBTQ+ colleagues and urge you all to attend the “No Turning Back” event here tomorrow. And finally a commitment to ongoing solidarity with the workers and people of Ukraine and the independent trade union movement in Belarus
