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Opinion
Opinion The future of Irish jobs looks precarious
‘If and when’ contracts and other insecure forms of employment are becoming the norm in some industries, we need regulation to make all work decent, writes Marie Sherlock.
Since big Jim Larkin organised workers strikes and founded the Irish Transport and General Workers’ Union (ITGWU) in 1909, precarious work has been an almost constant feature of the Irish labour market.
Casual labour on the docks in Dublin since the turn of the 20th century and agricultural labourers working across thousands of Irish farms are the predecessors of the fixed term workers who emerged in the 1990s.
In the early 2000s workplace innovations saw the development of the temporary agency worker and more recently we have seen a growing number of workers across many industries employed on ‘if and when’ contracts.
Each time, the union movement has responded by organising workers in those sectors and in latter years ensuring that legislative protections are put in place to create a level playing field between permanent and insecure workers.
Now we face a new set of challenges.
Technology Transforming Work
Technology is transforming how most of us work. Increasing automation and the digitalisation of production are transforming how firms produce. The emergence of digital platform companies is transforming how companies are organised.
With regard to the impact on job quality from all of these innovations, the most obvious concerns lie with the emergence of digital platforms and so-called ‘crowdsourcing’.
‘Gig work’ has always existed in sectors such as the arts and media. However, the growth of digital platforms has meant that this work, also known as ‘crowd employment’ is now becoming a more common feature in conventional sectors.
In their review of new forms of work, Eurofound highlight that this work can encompass anything from food delivery, transport, personal services and desk-based work such as graphic design, marketing and website management.
In how they are organised, digital platform companies are radically altering how firms recruit, manage and retain staff.
They depend on highly automated digital processes to connect their services with their customer. These services are remotely provided by workers whose only tool is typically their computer or digital device and a pool of workers usually compete for this work.
The (almost) zero marginal cost of taking on workers means that firms can scale up or scale down in a way that is unrecognisable to almost all conventional firms who directly employ their workers.
Is it Prevalent in Ireland?
The truth is that we don’t know.
Some companies like Uber are precluded from operating here due to tight regulation as to who can provide taxi services. But walk around Dublin and you’ll see a new breed of couriers on bikes – this time delivering meals.
There is a less obvious but just as significant group of platform workers operating out of their homes or in the growing stock of short-term rental offices.
One potential indicator is the emergence of serviced office companies here in Ireland. Although not exclusively aimed at gig workers, serviced office companies play a key role in the gig economy by renting out ‘hot desks’ and temporary office space to workers on an hourly, daily or weekly basis.
In Dublin alone, the largest real estate brokers are reporting huge growth in this area in a very short period. By the end of 2018, it is expected that serviced office space will have mushroomed to over 20,000 square meters in the Dublin area- that’s enough space for between 4,000 and 7,000 gig workers.
Some people see platform work as a great innovation for micro-entrepreneurs.
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However, a 2015 ILO survey of crowd workers on Amazon’s Mechanical Turk platform and the Crowdflower platform presents a very different picture.
They found that for 38% of US-based respondents, crowd working was the main source of income with an average of 22 hours work per week, earning 77% or less of the federal wage and that they spent 18 minutes seeking out work – for every hour worked.
Put another way, these workers spend almost a quarter of their working week doing unpaid work in order to generate paid work, which also happens to be extremely low paid.
But digital workers are a small minority of all workers and precarious employment is growing across industry.
Estimates based on the CSO labour force survey found that in 2017 some 9% of all plant and processing jobs were in temporary contracts, up from 5% in 2007. Those working in education have seen a rise in the numbers on fixed-term contracts now one in seven people in that sector is not on a permanent, secure contract.
On the ground, SIPTU members report that in hospitality and manufacturing, temporary work is on the increase while in construction, our members tell us that there has been a dramatic reduction in direct employment.
Instead, the bulk of general operative work in construction is now via temporary work agencies.
Future Challenges
Looking ahead, a key challenge to decent work may well emerge with the increased demand for care sector workers over future decades.
This will necessitate significant recruitment and from SIPTU’s detailed knowledge of the sector, a lot of private sector care work remains precarious with part-time or variable hours and low pay.
According to the International Labour Organisation, which is tasked with setting international labour standards and the promotion of decent work, the goal must not be to make all work standard, but rather to make all work decent.
That is why SIPTU and ICTU are pushing politicians to ensure we get the Employment Miscellaneous Provisions Bill passed through the Oireachtas.
It sets a threshold of decency for new workers in being able to access a contract of employment within the first five days.
The proposed legislation would effectively eliminate ‘zero hour’ contracts for almost all types of work (with a number of exceptions) as a wage floor is set below which the employee’s wages cannot drop, irrespective of hours actually worked.
Similarly for ‘if and when’ employees whose hours can be above or below their contracted hours, a wage floor would be put in place.
Collective bargaining is the only real tool to improve worker’s living standards. Many SIPTU members have found themselves on permanent contracts but working variable hours in sectors such as distribution, aviation or health or working in temporary ill-defined lecturing roles in education.
It was only when workers came together as SIPTU members and made their case collectively that they were able to achieve higher levels of guaranteed paid hours or improved employment status as full time, permanent workers.
In the world of digital platforms, the challenge to organising workers is enormous.
European Solutions
The German union IG Metall has led the way by agreeing to a crowdsourcing code of conduct with eight German-based digital platform companies, while Delivery Hero, a food delivery service has signed an agreement with EFFAT- the European confederation of unions covering food, agriculture and tourism.
Likewise in Austria, a works council has been established in the Foodora food delivery company.
While in Denmark, the 3F union entered into a collective agreement with digital platform company; Hilfr.dk which provides private cleaning services. The agreement claimed to be the world’s first, covers minimum wages, sick pay, holiday pay and pensions.
For trade unions here in Ireland, our challenge is to overcome worker fear and employer hostility and increase our membership where precariousness is greatest.
We know that for workers the best protection against precariousness is through collective bargaining and the security of having their terms and conditions negotiated and enforced.
Marie Sherlock is an economist with SIPTU
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Yes. We live on a beautiful island. Some stunning coastline and scenery. It really is the ‘emerald’ Isle. The fly in the ointment though is that our country is governed by a cabinet of absolute incompetents. Let that be on record.
@Patrick Cadogan: Post-war radicalisation and a Plural voting system. Either way, yeah one might have to go back (or ahead) that far, which compounds my point, I reckon.
@Jimmy Wallace: Andrew makes a valid point. There’s lots could be done to make this the Machu Picchu of Ireland. A bit of effort such as litter bins and toilet facilities, serviced camper van sites at beauty spots wouldn’t go amiss, but we can’t even do that.
@Jimmy Wallace: I think it is. The incompetence of the government, seeps down to Co. Councils and their incompetence in some counties is just awful, especially on the area of litter control and illegal dumping
I drove along many stretches of it before it became the wild Atlantic way and always appreciated it. While the rebrand has good points such as attracting people to it’s many beautiful sites it also has detrimental effects such as the ruination of the cliffs of Moher.
I fear that Sliabh Liag is heading in the same direction.
I remember really looking forward to the impressively titled “Great Ocean Road” in Australia then realising after doing it that we have the best coastline in the world. We’re very lucky.
@M G: Of all the things that didn’t happen, this didn’t happen the most. You live in a country with 18,000+ murders in 2023. You’re worried about “so much going on with migrants” in Ireland. Ffs. As Roy Keane would say: ” do me a favour”
Was going to travel over from the states to do it with my family as we have seen so much online and it looks wonderful but my family having second thoughts because so much going on in Ireland with migrants we do not know if its a good idea at the moment hopefully in the future we can do this adventure as a family.
Best way to do it is by motorbike. Plenty of spots to go ‘wild camping’ too. Obviously, Kerry is beautiful, but the roads are busy. Louisburgh to Delphi and around Killary Fjord is spectacular (on a clear day, Doolough will leave you speechless). In Donegal, Gweedore, Falcarragh and Dunfanaghy are Ireland’s Best kept secrets .
The route has always been there. Just a made up name, a load of crap in alot of places your 50kms from the coast. You don’t even see the Atlantic or the wildness in a lot of places, just towns, city’s, concrete and tar, fields with farm animals in them.
It’s a great trip , and well worth doing. Personally, it’s a motorbike heaven. Bicycles too slow, dangerous. Cars take up too much space, traffic.
The one big criticism I’d have is the marked reluctance and in many cases the refusal of places along the route to allow campers. Given the lack of accomodation on the route, this is a major negative.
@Sean Money: Quite a few people and groups do the Malin Head to Mizen Head on bicycles. Will take a few days but well worth it according to some friends who did it a few years ago.
@George Vladisavljevic: thanks for the recommendation, it seems a good challenge. I will fuel the journey with plenty of beer and stew from the local hospitality!
@Sean Money: Get a bicycle and a pair of bicycle clips to stop your trousers getting caught in the chain. Buy a bell, and make sure you have a reflector showing on rear mudguard . Now, off you go!.
@Sean Money: I did a bit of it on bicycle, once. Back in 1980 iirc. Went from Galway – Corker Hill (out past Kinvara) – Galway. On a Raleigh Grifter. I nearly died. The grips on it nearly killed me.
Used to drive that whole route as a tour coach driver guide. Slea head, the cliffs of mohair and the ring of KERRY are fabulous. As good as anywhere in the world
Mick Hanna asks the question as to who cares about Ryan Tubridy without realising that he clearly does himself by asking the question rather than ignoring the article altogether. Well done Mick. Your need to whinge and moan on an article that has nothing to do with Tubridy has confused you.
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