As Ireland takes the lead in EU procurement talks, unions push for stronger worker protections
Low-paid workers are calling on Ireland to use its time at the helm of the EU’s rotating council presidency to stop billions in public contracts from driving down wages and eroding working conditions.
Cleaners, catering staff, and others whose jobs often depend on government tenders are rallying in Dublin on Wednesday as Ireland takes on EU negotiations of a review of public procurement rules in September.
Trade unions are pressuring the Irish government to ensure that stronger protection provisions for workers are included in the final reform.
“This is an opportunity for EU leaders to make a real difference in the lives of workers amid a rampant cost-of-living crisis,” said Oliver Roethig, the trade union UNI Europa’s regional secretary.
