Online event on better workplace practices for Dublin Bay North locals

Dublin Bay North residents are invited to take part in an online event aimed at finding out how the Government can strengthen protections in the workplace.

Organised by Minister for Business, Employment and Retail Damien English TD and Chairman of the Fine Gael Parliamentary Party Richard Bruton TD, the event will take place on Thursday, May 6.

This is the seventh meeting in a series of online events taking place under the brand “Shape Your Future” which is being organised by Fine Gael.

The party says it would like to hear the views of members of the public on a range of issues and encourage engagement between them and their local representatives.

Speaking ahead of the event, Deputy Bruton said: “The pandemic has upturned our world and caused us to look afresh at how we work.

“We have had to think about what jobs are essential, about new sources of insecurity, about the need for new skills, about working from home.

“We must ask what this all means for future policies in the workplace.”

Some of these policies include the potential introduction of better protection for workers while on sick leave, should the way employers and unions communicate change, the rules surrounding remote working, should earn-as-you-learn be more widely adapted, and what changes are needed for the better care of children.

“As technology disrupts traditional workplaces, people need to be supported to cope, adapt their skills, balance life and work, deal with insecurity.

“Our economy is throwing up imbalances, and it serves neither the interests of enterprise or workers to ignore them.

“This is the opportunity to have your say on the shape of a new social contract,” Deputy Bruton said.

People can take part in the event, which takes place on May 6, by registering their details through Fine Gael’s dedicated website at https://www.finegael.ie/shapeyourfuture/dublinbaynorth/

Minister English added: “The purpose of this online event is to listen to the views of people who are adapting to big changes in the workplace and to inform them of the work underway.

“We recently published Ireland’s first National Remote Work Strategy, which sets out plans to strengthen the rights and responsibilities of employers and employees, to provide the infrastructure to work remotely.

“It also sets out clear guidance on how people can be empowered to work remotely from the office.”