6th May 2003

PRESS RELEASE

GREEN PARTY CALLS FOR 'NAMING AND SHAMING' OF EMPLOYERS WHO ABUSE FOREIGN DOMESTIC WORKERS

Green Party Justice spokesperson, Ciarán Cuffe TD, today called on Junior Minister Willie O'Dea to amend the Employment Equality Act to ensure that the rights of domestic workers are protected.

"The Green Party want changes in the law to allow for the 'naming and shaming' of employers who abuse the system. Wealthy households are exploiting cheap labour, and we believe that publishing their names would discourage such abuse."

"Currently employers are abusing legal loopholes, which allows them to exploit immigrants.  We want the law to be changed so that workers can obtain work permits in a particular sector, rather than the current system where the employer applies for the permit. The current system gives the employer the upper hand and facilitates exploitation."

"Abusing workers from developing countries through low pay and long hours is just a modern form of colonialism and we want it stopped. We are calling on Minister O'Dea to come up with action rather than words on this important issue. The Employment Equality Act must be amended."