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Zero-hour contracts 'Clare has to live with her parents and can't afford to go to the doctor'

The government needs to play catch up with Europe and implement legislation that gives part-time workers security of hours, writes Sinead Pembroke.

PART-TIME WORK IS highly prevalent in many sectors, including retail, hospitality, higher education, community health and childcare.

But there are two types of part-time work; there are those who are part-time with regular hours and there are those employed on a part-time, “if-and-when” basis.

This is Ireland’s version of the zero-hour contract.

So, why are we not calling them zero-hour contracts?

In 1996 Dunnes Stores tried to bring in zero hour contracts. Dunnes Store workers, who were members of Mandate Trade Union, went on strike for three weeks in 1996.

Consequently, in 1997 the government introduced the Organisation of Working Time Act, which provided that employers give 25% of the hours they require someone to be on call for.

Therefore, the University of Limerick’s report on the prevalence of zero hour contracts (2015) revealed that in order to get around the 1996 legislation, employers use “if- and- when- contracts”. If they (the employee) are available and when they (the employer) have hours, then they call them for work.

This has the same premise as a zero-hour contract; it gives part-time workers no security of hours, and allows for people to be employed on low hours, which consequently means low pay.

Can’t even afford to be sick

For retail workers like Clare (pseudonym), the “if-and-when” contract is very common.

Clare works for a convenience store in Dublin, with no guaranteed hours, yet has been employed in this store for over three years.

When the full-time employee left the store, instead of giving Clare the hours, the employer hired another part-time worker, also with no guaranteed hours.

Most weeks, Clare is only working two days a week and claiming part-time job seeker’s allowance for the days she does not work. She doesn’t want to have to claim part-time job seeker’s; she wants to do the job she is doing, but getting more hours and security of these hours per week.

She can’t afford the doctor’s fee

As a consequence, at the age of thirty, her circumstances force her to live at home with her parents because she is unable to afford to rent or buy.

If she is ill, she will still come into work (in order to be sent home) because she will not be paid sick leave. Clare will avoid accessing health services such as a GP or the dentist because she can’t afford the fee.

Clare’s story is the story of many thousands of workers employed on an “if-and-when” basis in sectors like retail, hospitality, education and community health all over Ireland.

Lack of job security is driven by government policy

Precarious working conditions in part-time work are being driven by policy. Recently, we have heard from government ministers, on the issue of water charges and how they must comply with EU legislation.

So, it would appear that the government can pick and choose what EU legislation they must adhere to because there is EU legislation that gives part-time workers more security called the Part-Time Workers Directive, yet, the Irish State has not implemented it.

In France, for example,where this has been implemented, they have “honest contracts”. This means that if a worker gets a contract for ten hours per week, but they regularly work twenty hours, the extra ten hours are paid at double time, or time and a half.

This creates a financial incentive for a company to give an honest contract. As this was never implemented in Ireland, there is a gaping hole in legislation that would give part-time workers more hours if they want them and more security.

The Banded Hours Contract Bill

One solution being offered at present is the Banded Hours Contract Bill. On June 14 2016, the Banded Hours Contract Bill was introduced by Sinn Fein’s spokesperson for workers’ rights, David Cullinane TD, during private members’ business

This Bill seeks to address the right for a worker (after six months of continuous employment with their employer), to be moved to an increased weekly band of hours (as described in the legislation).

We hear a lot about retail companies, who pay the living wage, but what’s far more important is the weekly wage, rather than the hourly rate. You could command a very high hourly rate but not get a decent weekly wage.

It is absolutely necessary that the government play catch-up with Europe and intervene on this issue, by implementing legislation such as the Banded Hours Contract Bill in order to give part-time workers, in retail and other sectors, security of hours.

Sinead Pembroke is a researcher at TASC (Think-Tank on Action for Social Change).

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53 Comments
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    Mute Ned
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    Dec 18th 2024, 8:06 PM

    Mayor, leave the Lord part out of it, leave the
    Lord stuff to the British I say.

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    Mute Dermot Blaine
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    Dec 18th 2024, 8:35 PM

    @Ned: yes, let’s give them back their language, roads, train lines, judicial system, parliamentary system, football, television, pantomines, Christmas traditions, parks and the county system they designed. Down with that sort of thing.

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    Mute Mick Duvanny
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    Dec 18th 2024, 9:07 PM

    @Dermot Blaine: The judicial system isn’t great. Should’ve been changed years ago

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    Mute Brian Hunt
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    Dec 18th 2024, 10:45 PM

    @Mick Duvanny: The legal industry, which is well represented in the government, don’t want change. One of the conditions for the financial bail-out was reform of the legal system, the government reneged on that. The present system is extremely lucrative.

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    Mute Ned
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    Dec 18th 2024, 11:14 PM

    @Dermot Blaine: if you say so lad but you might want to keep a few just in case?

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    Mute Dominic Leleu
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    Dec 19th 2024, 7:39 AM

    @Ned: it is indeed the first priority for the “kip”…. come on ned

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    Mute Jim O'Sullivan
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    Dec 19th 2024, 7:57 AM

    @Dermot Blaine: \what an utterly forelock tugging comment Anyway, most of the items you cire were not English innovations—but then what do you expect from an Eastenders fan,

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    Mute Ned
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    Dec 19th 2024, 4:41 PM

    @H Woo: that’s a very strange question? We speak English these days,

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    Mute Jp Cleary
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    Dec 18th 2024, 8:10 PM

    Why is this article up again…. seen it 3/4 days ago .

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    Mute Alan Power
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    Dec 18th 2024, 8:13 PM

    @Jp Cleary: and you’ve seen it again!

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    Mute Brian Hunt
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    Dec 18th 2024, 10:47 PM

    @Jp Cleary: Maybe you weren’t paying attention!

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    Mute Michael Collins
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    Dec 18th 2024, 8:24 PM

    What a surprise …

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    Mute Alan Power
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    Dec 18th 2024, 8:30 PM

    @Michael Collins: no surprise, you are a stalker, with multiple trolling accounts Michele Caine lol

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    Mute Dermot Blaine
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    Dec 18th 2024, 8:36 PM

    @Michael Collins: not a surprise, you commented on it yesterday

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    Mute Brian Hunt
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    Dec 18th 2024, 10:52 PM

    Should be an elected position, with real power!

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    Mute Dermot Lacey
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    Dec 19th 2024, 12:17 AM

    @Brian Hunt: It is an elected position.

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    Mute Dave O Neill
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    Dec 19th 2024, 11:06 AM

    @Dermot Lacey: Elected by who

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    Mute Dermot Lacey
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    Dec 19th 2024, 9:01 PM

    @Dave O Neill: by the same system that elects the Taoiseach. The elected ( by the people) members in the Chamber to which they were elected then elect the Lord Mayor.

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    Mute Cormac McKay
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    Dec 18th 2024, 10:42 PM

    Our 7th ceremonial powerless Mayor in Dublin City Council in 5 years

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    Mute Frank Mc Carthy
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    Dec 18th 2024, 8:07 PM

    Congratulations Emma Blain, best of luck in your tenure.

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    Mute Kevin Kerr
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    Dec 18th 2024, 9:24 PM

    @Frank Mc Carthy: last week you referred to the role as another snout in the trough. Frank the fraud. Frank the troll

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    Mute Frank Mc Carthy
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    Dec 18th 2024, 9:39 PM

    Hi brenny, those comments about that cinema in Galway were seriously vile….delighted you got deleted.

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    Dec 18th 2024, 9:41 PM

    @Basildon Joe: just a heads up Joe. ..this one is one of brennys…… bren set up this one to stalk/ bully me

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    Mute Quinny
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    Dec 18th 2024, 11:05 PM

    Not on topic, but imagine trying to cross the sea for a better life and to drowned, men , women and children dieing while we eat our Christmas dinner soon and complain about things that don’t even matter. Life has little understanding no matter how old you become!!

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    Mute Alan Power
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    Dec 18th 2024, 8:05 PM

    Good

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    Mute Alan Power
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    Dec 18th 2024, 8:08 PM

    The thug who threw excrement at Ann Rabbitte should have been jailed for at least 10 years, what if it was a more sinister attack

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    Dec 18th 2024, 8:11 PM

    @Alan Power: If you had any chance of getting your hole things like this wouldn’t bother you at all. Can only imagine the horror your mother faces when she cleans your room

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    Dec 18th 2024, 8:15 PM

    @Freda Peeple: I share the same room with your ma, so make sure you do a bit of hoovering now and then

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    Dec 18th 2024, 8:21 PM

    @Alan Power: Haha we all know there is only room for you and palm in the box room.

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    Dec 18th 2024, 8:27 PM

    @Freda Peeple: aw, you OK, babby?

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    Mute Willie Marty
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    Dec 18th 2024, 8:36 PM

    @Alan Power: a very decent man according to three respectable witnesses and the judge.

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    Mute honey badger
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    Dec 18th 2024, 8:34 PM

    A ceremonial ‘pass the parcel’ between the parties. Personally, I’d rather see it have genuine executive powers. In the meantime, best of luck to her.

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    Mute Dermot Blaine
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    Dec 18th 2024, 8:43 PM

    @honey badger: maybe, but DCC is one of the most successful local authorities in the country, they do this largely by consensus, it’s not as partisan as national politics.

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    Mute Frank
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    Dec 18th 2024, 10:07 PM

    @Dermot Blaine: Still haven’t sorted the transport system though. No metro. For a city of that size, incredible.

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    Mute Brian Hunt
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    Dec 18th 2024, 10:51 PM

    @Dermot Blaine: Well, they’re big on Woke, but on infrastructure, they’re appalling!

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    Mute Dermot Blaine
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    Dec 19th 2024, 7:42 AM

    @Frank: no, they’re not perfect by any means, but better than most

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    Mute Shane Cormican
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    Dec 18th 2024, 10:25 PM

    Pink profiling she will be back for next election – good luck to her but her party will use her up and take ideals out of her

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    Mute Alan Power
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    Dec 18th 2024, 11:46 PM

    The profanity towards this woman is off the scale, Sinead O’Carroll should be utterly ashamed of herself for allowing such vitriol to be vented, but of course, The Journal needs donations, no wonder, what a rag

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    Mute Trump24
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    Dec 19th 2024, 2:05 PM

    At least it’s another shinner kept out of power.

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    Mute Todd Hebert
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    Dec 20th 2024, 8:56 AM

    Elected? I think you mean appointed.

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    Mute John Moore
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    Dec 19th 2024, 6:33 PM

    Nice to be able to say you were the mayor but in reality it means very little. The term is a year max and role ceremonial. Obviously a directly elected mayor would be a different ball game but is being held back because a number of people don’t want to cede any kind of control even though it would benefit the city.

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    Mute Blaney Richard
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    Dec 19th 2024, 5:16 PM

    Good god a lot of blue shirts on here!!as usual,do you lads not work?oh probably in the party,that makes sense!!freaks

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