Campaign for the Right to Change Employer
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1. Campaign on RTE Six One News!  Friday 30 July 2010    Click here to view

2. Campaign Update

Since our mass demonstration outside Minister Batt O’Keeffe’s office in June, the Right to Change Employer Campaign continues to make progress:

• 15 Parliamentary Questions have been raised in the Dáil on the issue.
• 52 Government TDs around the country have received one-to-one visits on the campaign (some multiple times!)
• Hundreds and hundreds of letters, calls and emails have been sent directly to Minister Batt O’Keeffe

Minister O’Keeffe and Junior Minister for Labour Affairs, Dara Calleary, TD continue to ignore our calls for change.  They apparently believe that denying the right of workers to freely change employer is OK.  They need more convincing.

3. Responses from Batt O’Keeffe:  Binding a Worker Better Protects Rights

Many of you may have received response letters from Minister Batt O’Keeffe or Junior Minister Dara Calleary defending the current system of binding a worker to an employer.  These responses are filled with inaccuracies and show a clear lack of understanding of the reality of the permit system. 

The Minister stated, “Were employees allowed to move freely within a sector, it becomes more difficult to ensure that an employee’s rights are protected."

This argument goes against the evidence and experience of the MRCI, trade unions and labour rights organisations around the world which show that binding a worker to an employer through work permits is a prime factor in exploitation.   It also goes against basic common sense. 

MRCI’s full response to Minister Batt O'Keeffe

4. Let’s keep at it!

If you have not done so already, please:

• Write or email Minister O’Keeffe
• Visit your local TD to explain the issue.
• Tell as many others as you can to do the same!
• Stay tuned for next campaign actions.

Working together we can win!

For more info go to:  www.mrci.ie