Pringle: WRC ruling a big win for workers’ rights
- Updated: 3rd September 2024
Independent TD for Donegal, Thomas Pringle, said the Workplace Relations Commission (WRC) ruling in favour of Donegal musician Matt McGranaghan is a big win for workers’ rights.
Deputy Pringle said: “The culture of employers being protected by the State to the detriment of workers must end. Bogus self-employment is widespread, and it doesn’t benefit anyone but employers.
“It does not benefit workers who have been misclassified as self-employed, who do not receive the same statutory social insurance contributions, holiday benefits, sick pay or other benefits that PAYE workers receive. Workers who are misclassified are having their rights taken away. They may be getting more money into their hand, but it’s not benefitting workers in the long run.
“The practice of bogus self-employment also undermines tax revenue and as a result, it undermines the ability of the State to provide services and pensions and carry out other duties.
“The WRC decision marks the first time that the WRC applied the principles of last year’s Supreme Court Karshan ruling to entertainment and could have major implications for workers in other sectors.
“I also want to credit Matt McGranaghan for taking this case and pursuing it through to the WRC. It’s a long road, and I believe it’s a system that is designed to wear down people as well.
“The question that has to be asked is how has Government, Revenue and Social Welfare allowed the practice of bogus self-employment to continue? It seems another way the Government facilitates business, by making it cheaper for them to exploit people.
“I will be asking the Minister for Finance and the Minister for Social Protection what they are going to do in light of this ruling to protect workers and the State,” Deputy Pringle said.
