Statements on the Rights of Migrants Workers - 13th April 2005

Rights of Migrant Workers: Statements.
13th April 2005


Mr. Norris: It is a privilege to listen to people such as my colleague, Senator Morrissey. This is what the Seanad is all about, where people with direct practical experience of a situation with political implications may lay this before the House. I hope that the Minister and his replacement today, the Minister of State, Deputy Batt O'Keeffe, have taken notes on this. I was particularly impressed by the suggestion of a paper trail based on the mandatory documentation. I heard Senator Morrissey last night on "Tonight with Vincent Browne" where he was also very convincing. I hope the necessary action will be taken in this regard.
Mr. Leyden: He was a brave man to go out there.
Mr. Norris: He was, but he is able to bat on his own wicket comprehensively. I have raised these issues over a number of years. Even this year I recall raising the question of two Sri Lankan workers interviewed on RTE television, who were in tears because they had come here on foot of certain undertakings given by Irish employers. They wanted to send money home to their families, something with which Irish people can identify. It is ingrained in our culture that our people went abroad to work, in England and America particularly, and helped to keep Ireland afloat by sending money back to their families. The Sri Lankan pair were baulked in this regard and were not able to do this because of the way in which they were swindled and cheated. The image of two grown married men in tears on Butt Bridge was a reproach to this country.
Then there is the question of the Filipinos, which has being going on for a long time. Many of our nursing services are being run on Filipino labour and these workers are not as well treated as they should be, as regards reunification with their families, general working conditions etc. We may very well lose them and then the health service will be in even worse trouble than it is at the moment. In addition, conditions almost amounting to slavery have been exposed where Filipinos are used as housemaids, child attendants and so forth.
I raised the question a short time ago of a group of Polish workers brought to Donegal by an employer who let them down extremely badly. They were stuck there, not paid for the week they worked and told they had no jobs. Were it not for the wonderfully warm and human response of the woman who ran the guest house and cancelled her holiday to look after them, their situation would have been much worse. She went on the radio and secured employment for these people who otherwise would have been stranded, through media publicity. I was proud of her as a decent Irish woman, but I was ashamed of the employers.
[Mr. Norris]
While abroad recently, I listened to the BBC World Service. It did not make me feel proud when I heard the case of Ms Salvacion Orge, the Filipina hired to work as beautician on Irish Ferries and paid 75 cent an hour. When she had the temerity to do an interview with RTE television, she was sacked. How is that for freedom of speech? Are we proud of this? Thank God for the trade unions and her co-workers who stood up for her and helped her to get to court where she got a settlement of 30,000.
I am sorry the Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment, Deputy Martin, is no longer in the House. That does not mean I have any grudge against my former colleague in the House, the Minister of State at the Department of the Environment, Heritage and Local Government, Deputy Batt O'Keeffe. Although I praised Deputy Martin when Minister for Health and Children and I know him to be a decent and caring man, this is not a good day for either him or his Department. They should be thoroughly ashamed. His speech was more waffle, blather and tripe about the economy. There was so much padding and filling, it meant sweet damn all.
The first action the Minister must take is to congratulate Deputy Joe Higgins of the Socialist Party. But for him, we would not be debating this matter. Where was the Department when this scandal was going on? It was only ventilated when Deputy Joe Higgins entered the arena. The Minister made the big announcement of asking the Irish ambassador to the Netherlands to contact the bank involved in the case this morning. Again, he is trailing after Deputy Joe Higgins who has already gone to Amsterdam with some of the employees to demand their account details from the bank. That was real action. The House must record its congratulations to Deputy Joe Higgins for doing the State and Parliament a service. The Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment must also acknowledge his efforts.
An apology is due to the workers for the lack of care for their welfare and interests by State officials. It is clear the workers were the victims of a massive and scandalous fraud. Will the Minister explain how his Department could be unaware of their plight when Deputy Joe Higgins was aware of it? It is essential that we follow the advice given by Senator Morrissey to monitor these situations.
Several years ago when in Turkey with the Joint Committee on Foreign Affairs, we were besieged by massive conglomerate building corporations, including Gama, all anxious to get into Ireland. Now we know why. Gama won many contracts, including the Ballincollig bypass, where it underbid other competitors, including Irish ones, by 15 million and the Ennis bypass, where it underbid by 5 million. It is easy to see how it could do so when it did not pay regular wages. The Minister skated over this by saying one can only get certain agreed regulated wages. However, Gama was forced by to admit it underpaid its workers. Again, it was Deputy Joe Higgins who forced them into this admission.
Several weeks ago on radio, a public relations spokesperson for Gama called Deputy Joe Higgins a liar.
Mr. McCarthy: He was a solicitor.
Mr. Norris: I thank Senator McCarthy for the correction. This representative of the company had to withdraw his allegation.
Gama is a large company that specialises in large construction projects, particularly electricity generating stations and bypasses. It imports workers from its homebase in Turkey who, by and large, do not speak English. Their passports and work permits are controlled by the company. The company accommodates them in what amount to army barracks and concentration camps. It works them from cockcrow to nightfall in all weather conditions without breaks. It is shameful that the Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment is unaware of these conditions. That Turkey tolerates these types of work practices calls into the question its fitness to join the European Union.
In addition to the exploitation of the workers by paying them less than the minimum wage, the company engages in the noxious practice of using High Court injunctions to suppress publication of reports into its activities. This suggests there is some matter of concern which it seeks to hide. It is clear it relates to the bank accounts in Amsterdam. Although I have not had access to the report, I understand these workers were brought to Ireland en masse. The company knew the majority did not speak English, yet shortly before landing in Dublin, forms in English were pushed under the workers' noses which they were told they must sign. This was the legal authorisation for the company to open and operate bank accounts on behalf of the individual workers, an extraordinary and unheard of practice.
This debacle also calls into the question the operations and standards of the Finansbank, which I hope will be indicated to the Dutch authorities. Under pressure, the spokesperson admitted all the procedures were highly unusual or irregular as I call them. He prefaced this by saying people should be careful of what they sign. Caveat emptor; let the buyer beware. This is a mean-minded, legalistic get-out from scurrilous practices by the bank and the company. The spokesperson confirmed no statements were ever sent to the workers. The accounts were opened in a face-to-face manner. They were unaware that the moneys were then transferred into Ryder Investments, a company whose owners, controlling interests or beneficiaries are unknown.
The sums involved are between 20 million and 40 million. This must be cleared up by the Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment. The operation of Gama Construction in Ireland must come under question. I am aware of concerns in some housing estates in Dublin city as to the quality of work by Gama. While I support the Department's efforts, I hope it has listened to Senator Morrissey's practical suggestions. This is still a black day for Ireland. Deputy Joe Higgins must be congratulated while the Department should hang its head in shame. We must apologise to the workers for allowing them to be systematically defrauded by their employers.