NWCI supports the MCRI Campaign for the Rights of Migrant Workers to Change Employers
Published: Thursday, April 15, 2010
Minister Batt O'Keeffe
Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Innovation
23 Kildare Street
Dublin 2
16 April 2010
Dear Minister O'Keeffe,
The National Women's Council of Ireland is shocked by the exploitation of migrant workers in this country by unscrupulous employers, and we call on you to act now to change this shameful situation by changing the law. We fully support the campaign currently being run by the Migrant Rights Centre to enable migrant workers in the employment permit system the right to change employer in their job category.
All workers need the ability to change jobs. Not having this right is discriminatory and inevitibly leads to bad situations, exploitation and to people being forced to become undocumented. We urge you to look at the testimonies of workers whose cases have been documented by the MRCI (available on their website, www.mrci.ie) .The current situation makes it extremely difficult for workers to leave a bad situation and to find a new employer willing to go through the long delays and high fees of a new employment permit application.
There is a better and fairer way for the 25,000 migrant workers still in the employment permit system in Ireland. Employment permit holders deserve the basic right to change employer and it would be a relatively simple matter for you to correct this injustice. Please do the right thing by this vulnerable group of workers, many of whom are women.
Yours Sincerely,
Susan McKay
Director,
National Women's Council Of Ireland
9 Marlborough Court
Marlborough Street
Dublin 1