Sligo Sinn Féin has announced
that they are launching a county-wide job creation campaign over the spring to
highlight both spiralling unemployment in County Sligo and the Government’s
total failure to tackle the issue.
Sinn Féin’s campaign will focus
on the positive aspects of the employment pool and educational infrastructure in
County Sligo and the steps required in turning that potential into real jobs.
Campaign spokesperson Councillor Chris MacManus
say’s that the priority “has to be about stopping the flow of skilled workers
out of the region, and to enhance investment and development which will promote
job creation and training.”
“That there are currently 5,279
Sligo people on the live register cannot be allowed to continue, and recent job
loses locally, such as at Stiefel and Tiscali should not be
repeated.
“By promoting job creation in the
locality and keeping those we have, a positive ‘Can Do’ message will be sent out
to say that we are serious about putting Sligo back on its feet.
“It’s not all about external
factors affecting the economy. We should not lose out because of the lack of
proper representation in the Dail or a fair distribution of new jobs across the
country. We already have the raw materials for change in our workforce
potential. It’s up to us to create that change.
“We can achieve this by investing
in our young people; by retraining those unlucky to have lost jobs, and by
taking full advantage of our indigenous businesses, many of whom have great
potential if only given the opportunity to develop.
“Sligo is also unique in that it
is a gateway city, with a regional airport and two third-level colleges in Sligo
IT and St Angela's, with a ready availability of highly trained young people
eager to take on any challenges put to them.
“Investing in our future
through building schools, hospitals and business infrastructure will help put
Sligo back in the frame. Developing an export strategy that focuses on
indigenous exports and not over reliant on multinationals can only have a
positive effect on local industry.
“Over the next couple of months
Sinn Fein will be conducting an energetic campaign here in County Sligo. Over
10,000 leaflets and posters will be distributed by party activists as well as
launching an internet campaign on facebook and YouTube via our website at www.sligosinnfein.com. We will also be
bringing to Sligo, Sinn Fein members of the Dail and the Northern Assembly,
including Regional Development Minister Conor Murphy, to meet with a number of
stakeholders and statutory agencies in relation to job creation. Sligo Sinn Fein
believes it is important not just to highlight the deficiencies that exist, but
also to engage and agree common sense proposals that will assist the local
economy in recovering.
Sinn Féin will be spreading the
news that our future is in our hands; that it’s up to us – with every possible
help from the government – to pull ourselves back into the light of industrial
and social prosperity” Cllr. MacManus finished.
END
tel: Chris @ 086 811 9550
MacManus Seeks Action on Yearly
Unemployment Rise of 62% in Co. Sligo.(7-Nov-08)
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Sinn Féin Councillor Sean MacManus has sharply
criticised the Government’s inaction on job creation after the latest
figures from the Central Statistics Office showed that
unemployment has risen from 5.1% to 6.7% in the third quarter of this
year. Councillor MacManus called on the Government to
introduce a back to education scheme for young construction workers.
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Proposing a Motion
to Sligo Co. Council demanding equal rights for agency workers Sinn Féin
Councillor Sean MacManus criticised the ongoing failure of government to
introduce legislation to end the abuse of these workers.Councillor Mac Manus described the absence of
adequate legislation to protect agency workers as “ a cancer in the Irish
labour market” andsaid that if the abuse
of agency workers was not tackled now exploitation would spread “aggressively
and invasively through all workplaces and all sectors”.
Proposing his motion Councillor Mac Manus said:
“The purpose of this motion is to call on the government to halt the
rising tide of exploitation that is resulting from their failure to legislate
for the principle of equal
treatment for agency workers. This is an issue which is of serious concern for
all workers in this state because the current situation is undermining the
employment rights of all workers. This motion demands that the abuse of agency
workers is ended and that their right to equal treatment with other workers is
enshrined in law.
In 2005, tens of thousands of people took to the streets to protest against
Irish
Ferries plans to replace their employees with workers supplied by an off shore
employment agency. Irish Ferries wanted to pay rates substantially less than
the minimum wage and the public were outraged. The dispute occurred within six
months of the Gama construction scandal, which revealed what was happening to
Turkish workers employed through another offshore employment agency.
The situation has not improved since then. Not only are agency workers being
denied their rights--entitlements such as sick pay, holiday pay and overtime
and rates of pay equivalent to permanent staff-- increasing numbers of new jobs
are temporary and are being filled by agency workers. The employment of agency
workers is resulting in the displacement of directly employed workers.
This is not just an issue that affects migrant workers, existing Irish
workers are being displaced, are forced to work as agency workers and are
seeing their wages being driven down and their existing conditions undermined
as a result of the failure to legislate for the principle of equal treatment.
This practice is also driving down general wage levels across a range of
sectors. “The absence of adequate legislation to protect agency workers is like a cancer
in the Irish labour market. If it is not
tackled now exploitation will spread aggressively and invasively through all
workplaces and all sectors – already its affects are evident in construction,
hotel and services, retail, red meat and mushroom industries.”
“Not only has the Government failed to introduce domestic legislation on
this issue, it has shamefully played a pivotal role in blocking an EU Directive
on Temporary Agency Workers. It is time
for the Government to introduce domestic legislation and to drop its opposition
to the proposed EU Directive. It is time
for the Government to fulfil its obligation to protect decent work standards
for all workers.” Everyone who supports equality and fairness for workers must
support this motion”
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