I know what I’m about to say will have people calling me a racist and all the usual but I hope these new laws their trying to bring in protect Irish workers as well. In my last job the shortest week I worked was 64hrs and that was if I had a weekend of. The usual was 86hrs a week. In the last year I worked for them I had a total of 49 days when I wasn’t working. That may sound like a lot but they weren’t holidays, those were the total of my weekends. Most people get all their weekends plus their twenty odd days holiday. Only for I put my foot down they would’ve given me 2 days at christmas. Now I know there will be people thinking sarcastically poor you and all the rest but anytime we voiced our opinions to management, we were quickly reminded that there’s a line of men waiting to do your work. European guidelines say that 48 is maximum hours a week someone should work, there lies the problem. It’s only a guideline NOT law. It ended up I had to quit for health reasons and have been unemployed ever since. There are Irish people all over the country who’s hands are tied when it comes to situations like this because employers know now that a job is essential to them. Another thing is employers seem to give work to foreigners so they can exploit them. I applied for a job in a shop(a national brand) close by and was turned back, a week later my south Korean house mate applied in the same place and got it. She showed me her pay slip one time and I could see the huge discrepancies in it. All I could do is tell her to go to citizens advice.

Gavin. I’m in a similar club. They know we fear unemployment and love to remind us that there are plenty out there to replace us.

managed out is not illegal

Its time the Guards and Revenue began raiding restaurants, Its clear to anyone with a brain whats going on.

Shatter needs to man up.

Disgraceful that Ireland – which has signed Human Rights accords left, right & centre – has laws which protects slave drivers.

Migrant Rights Centre Ireland has 30 cases of exploited workers in precarious situations. Only the tip of the iceberg.

This kind of issue should have absolute priority. There is a clear issue, and one that again gives weight to the backward stereotype of Ireland, that should be stamped out immediately. Why is there no action here?

I work for the public sector,get every fourth weekend off,finished on Sat morning,and over one seven day period my shift changes from early to evening,nights and back to evenings,and the government want to reduce my shift allowance.I walk away with roughly 400 euros a month after paying my dues,this is before I try to pay for gas and power,is that slavery?Its disgraceful,but they are going to punish me this week again,and why?Because its better than taking from their own.

Same approach to migrant workers in the UK with Confederation of British Industry have lobbied the various UK governments to curb wages and increase non EU foreign workers as a way to curb wages while increasing profits of it’s members. Irish tax payers pays for business lobby groups like ibec isme or sfa won’t be too pushed or golden circle of politicians like FG or FF/Lab won’t investigate as it damages the money these parties receive from these lobby groups.

If ANY worker is working over 48 hours a week for less than 8.65 an hour like Muhamad and many others like him did ,that is certainly modern day slavery.He worked for between 53 c – 2.50 an hour for a 60-70 hour week .Laws can not just be made for migrants and we are not expecting them to be ,they just have to INCLUDE everyone living and working in Ireland whether they are Irish (rich or poor ,working class or middle class) ,Irish travellers ,migrants ,Roma people just to name a few.