Solidarity-People Before Profit has published a bill aimed at tackling the phenomenon of bogus self-employment, which can deprive workers of the their employment and social welfare entitlements.
Bogus self-employment arises when a worker who should be hired as a direct employee is forced to accept self-employed status in order to get work.
The move saves money for the employer, but can leave the worker losing out on the protections that apply to direct employees, including unemployment benefit, sick and holiday pay, as well as creating financial insecurity.
Publishing the bill, TD Mick Barry cited a 2015 Irish Congress of Trade Unions' report that put the cost to the State of bogus self-employment of €80m per year in lost PRSI and tax.
However, he estimated that as the numbers in the bogus self-employed category rise, the loss to the State must be rising too.
He described the record on enfocement of the Department of Social Protection as "patchy", while the record of the Revenue Commissioners was "appalling".
The Prohibition of Bogus Self-Employment Bill would give workers querying their status the right to take a complaint to the Workplace Relations Commission, instead of relying on the Revenue Commissioners or the Department to investigate.
If their claim succeeded, the employer would be liable for up to two years' wages compensation for losses.
He said bogus self-employment was not a 21st century lifestyle choice, but a return to 19th century piece-work that was driving workers' rights back 100 years.
He said the bill outlines 19 specific characteristics to help identify cases of bogus self-employment.
It would also make the employer liable for all potential revenue losses to the State, with no liability for the worker.
