With a vision to grow the union in size and strength as businesses reopen in the aftermath of the global pandemic, IUF affiliate Unite the Union has established a Hospitality and Tourism branch in the Republic of Ireland. The union has released a new report based on the results of a survey undertaken to learn more about how workers are experiencing pay and working conditions across the sector, especially during the COVID-19 crisis.
- The Hospitality and Tourism industry in Ireland is characterized by a relatively young workforce, predominantly female and with a significant number of migrant workers, estimated at between 33% and 40% of total employment in the sector
- With over 40% of employees on part-time contracts, low trade union density, language barriers and a lack of enforcement of workers’ rights, work in the sector is precarious and rife with poor working conditions
- Given few possibilities for career progression and an extremely high cost of living in Ireland, the sector is currently unsustainable for workers
As Julia Marciniak, Tourism & Hospitality Coordinator for Unite the Union in the Republic of Ireland, stated: “It is very important that we recognize and face up to the conditions for workers in this sector so that we can move forward collectively to campaign for better jobs.”
