THE accusation from Peadar Tóibín of Sinn Fein that Government TDs voted against an amendment that would safeguard Sunday premiums for low paid workers is “a little bit hard to take”, according to Labour’s Seán Sherlock.
“In making this assertion Deputy Tóibín is being at best disingenuous and at worst, hypocritical. The legislation being brought forward by the Government provides ample support for Sunday working, and well he knows it.
“The rights of workers in relation to Sunday working will be firmly protected by a new Code of Practice on Sunday Working to be devised by the Labour Relations Commission. This will be similar to the 1998 Code of Practice on Sunday Working in the Retail Trade that is already in operation.
“I would remind Deputy Tóibín that his voting record and that of his party, is absolutely shameful when it comes to protecting low-paid workers. One of Labour’s top priorities when we came into Government was to reverse the despicable cut in the minimum wage. Some people said that we couldn’t do it and Sinn Fein said we wouldn’t do it.
“Well we did it, but for some reason that is not clear to me, Sinn Fein voted against the legislation when it came into Dail a year ago.
“Before lecturing Labour on issues such as this, Deputy Tóibín should explain why he believed that the reversal by this Govt of Fianna Fail’s cut in the minimum wage was not worthy of his support. In fact I believe he should apologise to minimum wage workers for his betrayal of them last year.”
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