Sick of bending over for your boss?

ireland / britain | workplace struggles | press release

Thursday May 19, 2005 22:49

by STFURC - Stand Up for your Rights Campaign

Stand up for your rights

This is the text of the Stand up for your Rights campaign that Irish anarchists from the Workers Solidarity Movement are involved in with other union activists. It's aimed at informing workers of their legal rights and encouraging them to organise and join a union.

Graphic from the leaflet

You'll find more details about the campaign in the articles

If anyone reading this is able to translate it into Polish, Turkish, Russian or Chinese we would appreciate this as there are tens of thousands of migrant workers from these countries in Ireland who are often kept unaware of their legal rights. See the article Turkish Builders Strike in Ireland (in Turkish ) for one example of a succesful ongoing fight for such rights.

PDF file of the leaflet

Sick of bending over for your boss?

Know your rights

See the website belwo for info on basic workers rights and how to join a union

Organise for your rights

From fast food outlets, to assembly lines, from corner shops to hyper markets there is one common relationship. That is the relationship between boss and worker. These two classes have nothing in common, and a constant struggle is fought between them. Over the years we have won free education, free healthcare, the welfare state, the 5 day week, the 8 hour day and the other rights. It's time we organized to defend these rights and to win more.

Stand up for your rights

These are some of your basic rights guaranteed by law

Contract of Employment: When you accept a job in return for wages, a Contract of Employment is formed. For jobs lasting more than one month, the employer must make certain information available to you in writing &endash; their full name and business address, the job title/nature of work, the date employment started, rates of pay, hours of work (including overtime), holiday periods, details of meal breaks and rest periods allowed. A contract cannot take away any legal rights you have under the law, e.g. the right to join a union, the right to maternity leave.

Wages: From 1st May 2005, the legal minimum wage for an adult worker is ¤7.65 per hour. An employer can only pay less than this where a person is under 18 years of age or is engaged in apprenticeship or necessary training which is funded by the employer (minimum wage from ¤5.36 p/h). The legal minimum wage is the lowest wage you can be paid but by organising in a trade union you can press for wages well above the legal minimum wage and improve your conditions generally.

Hours and overtime: By law, every worker must be paid for work done over and above his or her contracted hours. The contract must state what rates are payable for additional hours. The usual rates are time + ? for the first 3 hours, time + ? for the next 5 hours and double time for anything after that. You cannot be required to work more than an average of 48 hours per week.

Pay Slip: You are entitled to a pay slip at the end of each pay period, whether weekly, fortnightly or monthly. The employer must tell you how and when you will be paid and whether by cash, cheque or credit to your bank account. Your pay slip should include precise and correct information on your rate of pay and any tax and Pay Related Social Insurance (PRSI) deductions. To be legal, any deductions other than tax and PRSI must be agreed with your employer beforehand.

Holidays: Calculations can be complex for short-term jobs, but generally full-time workers are entitled to 4 weeks paid leave per year plus the 9 bank holidays (unless receiving substitute leave days or pay for working these days); part-time workers are entitled to 8% of their working time.

Sick Pay: Whilst your employer has no legal obligation to offer sick pay for any time off ill, the Contract of Employment must clearly state procedures regarding sick leave and any payments due.

Maternity Leave: A worker cannot legally be dismissed for becoming pregnant and is entitled to paid time off for medical checks before and after giving birth (two weeks notice must be given to the employer of appointments). There is a minimum entitlement of 14 weeks maternity leave.

This is just a short summary of the law &endash; more at www.getupstandup.tk

A trade union can give detailed advice and support in getting your rights (see below)

Join a trade union

Being in a union can help you get better pay and conditions at work. On average, unionised workers in Ireland get paid 1/3 more than non-union workers. These are some of the unions you can join.

The Independent Workers Union
087 9356945 (Day or night)
Open to all workers

Amalgamated Transport & General Woekers Union (ATGWU)
01 8734577
Open to all workers

Mandate
01 8746321
Fro retail, bar and admin workers

Services, Industrial, Professional & Technical Union (SIPTU)
01 8586300

The Stand up for your Rights Campaign was started by ordinary members of these and other unions. Details of other unions can be found through the Irish Congress of Trade Unions - www.ictu.ie

Other Information sources

Immigrant council
2 St Andrew Street, Dublin 2, Ireland
Information service: (01) 674 0200
Administration: (01) 674 0202
Fax: (01) 645 8031
info@immigrantcouncil.ie

Citizens Information Centres
information, advice and advocacy, including employment, housing, justice, social welfare. Citizens' Information Phone Service &endash; 1890 777121 (Local)

Residents Against Racism
campaigns for the rights of refugees, asylum-seekers and migrant workers. 087 6662060 / 087 7974622 (24 hour)

Free Legal Advice Centre (FLAC)
social welfare and employment advice - 01 6794239

Indymedia (www.indymedia.ie)
independent news & information. Find out what's really going on

Migrant Rights Centre
3, Beresford Place,
DUBLIN 1
Tel. 01 8881355
Mobile - 086 3644586
Fax - 01 8881086
info@mrci.ie