Concerns raised over exploitation of immigrant workers by rogue employers in Ireland.
The Irish Human Rights Commission says that a lack of adequate labour inspections means that migrant workers are unprotected. The commission wants this be tackled immediately to avoid any tragic outcome.
Last February, twenty Chinese cockle pickers drowned at Morecambe Bay in England. The tragedy resulted in calls for better legal protections for migrant workers. The Irish Human Rights Commission launched a new report on migrant workers in Ireland calling for safeguards to be introduced to avoid a similar tragedy to Morecombe taking place in Ireland.
Senator Maurice Manning, Irish Human Rights Commission, says that nobody expected the incident in Morecombe and a similar tragedy could happen in Ireland.
Most migrant workers in Ireland are employed in horticulture or the service industry.
Stories of exploitation by employers continue to emerge with many migrants feeling too vulnerable to come forward.
Siobhán O'Donoghue, Irish Migrant Centre, says that they have had reports of employers holding on to people's passports and making excessive deductions from their pay. Many migrants do not know that they have rights. The government is now being urged to tackle this information vacuum. There has also been a call to increase vigilance on employers. Senator Manning says that there are very few inspections to make sure that rogue employers do not exploit migrant workers.
An RTÉ News report broadcast on 5 April 2004. The reporter is John O'Driscoll.
