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EMPLOYERS AND UNIONS will be consulted on sick pay reform in Ireland, following a discussion at Cabinet today.
Government has committed to report back within six months on a Labour Party proposal that would ensure workers who fall sick continue to get paid for up to six weeks.
Across the EU, 22 countries already have a statutory right to sick pay, as does the UK. Ireland is one of only five EU members that doesn’t recognise it as a right.
NPHET and the acting Chief Medical Officer have already identified the lack of an entitlement to sick pay in Ireland as a potential barrier in preventing the spread of Covid-19 in workplaces and in different sectors, particularly those where staff tend to be on low levels of pay.
“We have already seen outbreaks in meat processing plants, mushroom plants and nursing homes,” said Labour Senator Ivana Bacik.
A government spokesperson said the Tánaiste Leo Varadkar “believes this should change”, stating that Ireland is rather unusual in comparison to our European counterparts.
The decision to delay a decision on Labour’s sick pay proposals by at least six months, will give the government time to examine the impacts and cost such a measure would have on businesses, particularly small and medium businesses, stated the spokesperson.
Since March of this year, workers certified as diagnosed or suspected of having Covid or who are awaiting test results and told to self isolate, are entitled to the Enhanced Illness Benefit of €350 per week.
Both employees and self-employed people can qualify for the benefit.
Workers who live in direct provision who have been diagnosed with Covid-19, or who have been advised to self-isolate, can access the payment.
Over the six months, it is understood the government will consult with stakeholders and draw up options that could be rolled out.
Labour’s spokesperson on Employment Affairs Senator Marie Sherlock said the lack of statutory sick leave is a fundamental weakness in our fight against the pandemic.
“We can’t wait six months for a public consultation when a second wave is underway. We are more likely to see a vaccine delivered sooner than a government proposal on sick pay after a public consultation.
“Ensuring sick pay for all is not just a vital question of worker’s rights; it is the essential missing piece in our strategy against Covid-19. At any other time, we would have an obligation to ensure every worker has a right to paid sick leave. But during a pandemic, we have a special duty to guarantee sick pay as soon as possible in the name of public health,” she said.
If the Government insists we wait six months more to address the problem, it will seriously undermine the chance of safe and fair recovery, she said.
Private sector workers are entirely dependent on the benevolence of their employer to pay them when they are ill, said Sherlock.
She said only a minority currently choose to do so and the worst affected tend to be on lower income and in certain essential sectors.
“We shouldn’t make the mistake of viewing paid sick leave as an extravagance, especially when we are fighting to overcome a pandemic.
The debate about the impact of the lack of sick pay provision has centred on meat plants in the last number of months.
AA Euro Group, who provides agency staff to meat factories, confirmed on RTÉ’s Prime Time that it does not pay sick pay. AA Euro Group’s Pat McCarthy said it was a legislative issue and if every factory had to pay sick pay, it would follow suit.
Junior Minister in the Department of Agriculture, the Green Party’s Pippa Hackett, has also called for workers in the sector to be given greater access to sick pay.
There is very little justification for entering into these public-private partnerships where the private company end up recouping their initial investment many times over within just a few years. They represent a poor deal for the State in terms of lost revenue. Surely borrowing the money would be more cost-effective?
@Sean: no brown envelopes that way
@Sean: Have a look at who’s invested in those private companies, that’s the reason right there. We’re being scammed.
@Sean: and have you evidence that they are recouping their investment ‘many times over’? The truth might surprise you.
@Aileen Lawlor: I’m not the one who made the claim. Let them produce the evidence.
All tolls charges should be scraped, we pay enough Taxes.
@Jimmy Pea: yes, let’s scrape those taxes.
Surely the revenue from the already paid for East link will cover a percentage of the proposed hike.
@The Bolt: Its been paid for many, many times over by now. That hike would be nice to get a ministers kids some PS5′s.
Every single penny of profit from tolls going into accounts setup and based in The Isle of Man as there would be absolute uproar if everyone was able to see the huge profits being made!
A classic case of the government upping prices with a flimsy excuse and without a backup plan for the public, forcing them to pay.
Clondalkin to Blanchardstown will take you 15-20 minutes by car on the M50, but well over an hour if you take public transport merely because there’s no direct route. Between 2 of the largest areas outside the M50 and 10k away from each other.
The toll bridges have been paid for many times over, and maintaining the roads isn’t going to be an arduous task with the heap of money currently being raked in.
“May”?? How about tell Eamonn Ryan to sort it out.
@Will Roche: he’d turn it into a bicycle lane
@Will Roche: Eamon told TII to do it
@Jonny Spuds: you’d be quicker getting from Bray to the Airport on the M50 on your bicycle most days…
There is no realistic and economic reason for an increase. Costs have not risen, there is no competition and they are already making huge profits. In fact the opposite should be the case, they should be handing money back to the government coffers
@BadBob: The contracts these PPP have is if the tolls don’t get a set amount of vehicles, passing through the government pay the PPP companies the difference.
But if the companies make a profit, the government doesn’t get a bean.
@BadBob: Are you living in the same country where prices are rising. I presume you mean none of the workers are getting paid any more since the last toll increase and on your planet, there is no construction/road maintenance inflation. I want to live where your fuel costs to move all this man and material does not exist. What world has competition for toll gate revenue- we already have different toll road operators. Maybe your world has no extra traffic congestion, car use and naturally road maintenance overheads. The cash for the eastlink already goes to DCC. The westlink funds pay the not insignificant ripoff price paid to take it public.
They don’t want to give with one hand and take with the other yet that’s what they have been doing for years so why stop now!
Why don’t the government call for fuel price reduction. Diesel in many areas €1.99 ltr yet I happened to get diesel at €1.80 ltr. Cost reduction not getting passed on and gouging by large forecourt operators going on
The result of the out-source-everything ideology of current parties in power. As with all other utilities, we are expected to pay for the cost of supply plus a hefty profit for one or other of the in crowd. When is the GE?
Only justification for M50 charge would be if they where actually building a secound level for more cars and a light rail system.
Can somebody in RTE please find the LLS interview in which Gay Byrne specifically asked (the week of the East Link Toll launch) how long we’d be paying. He was told that as soon as the cost of the bridge was paid (estimates suggested no more than ten years), the toll payment would be scrapped. That was a hell of a lot longer than ten years ago.
@Ernie Gallagher: Dublin City Council said they need the money so voted to retain the toll
Ye right.
Everyone who uses the road should pay, not just at a point you cross. If it goes to upgrading / maintaining the roads then put a 20c toll and relevant increase per vehicle, so at every bridge and capture all users, with a cap at the current price.
Ridiculous you only pay to use at a point. Get off before and drive around.
Can’t believe this government just keep hiking up prices and try to put a good face on it saying it’s. Ot the right time, like they are doing something positive by not letting hike happen just now.
Idiots.
@Rafa Condron: What the f. We have already paid for these roads and bridges you talk about. We are paying for their upkeep with every wage packet. This is about tolls from private companies making massive profits already and trying to make more…. Bull when they say it’s for increased upgrades, etc. That’s only a percentage of the money they make
@Rafa Condron: It’d cost you more to drive around.
We are all part of the rich man’s game of chess!! And we ain’t winning!
They’ll “call for them to be scrapped” and then they’ll say they tried when nobody listens
We are all part of the rich man’s chess game! And we ain’t winning!
have your say