The fact that 15,000 low paid education support workers are on precarious temporary contracts is scandalous. Some of these workers the majority of whom are women, have been in this situation for over four years according to information given by the Department of Education. There can be no excuse for allowing this level of employment insecurity to continue.

Workers should be issued with permanent contracts of employment, and the current models of precarious employment, and zero-hour contracts are exploitation and should have no place in the public or private sectors. The fact that this is happening in the public sector and in schools is shameful. These workers deserve the right to proper terms and conditions of employment; they deserve job security.

In 2024 the then Minister for the Economy launched a Good Jobs Good Employment consultation which the Workers Party responded to as did the Trade Unions. In our submission we demanded an end to precarious employment and zero-hour contracts across all workplaces, and the introduction of well-paid sustainable jobs with proper terms and conditions of service, as well as training and affordable childcare provision.