The Workers Party made a detailed submission to the good jobs consultation document and like many other groupings who responded are keen to see the details and the timeframe contained in the legislation. It was unclear when the minister responded in the assembly just what stage the bill was at or who if anyone has the information on the bill’s passage through the legislative process. The Workers Party in our response called for the government to ensure the following: a real living wage, well paid sustainable employment, and a real focus on workers’ rights.

The right to organise a trade union must be recognised and accepted by employers s must increased workplace health and safety protections, and employment rights. This legislation must also see an end to zero-hour contracts and precarious employment along with day one protection for employees to lessen the exploitation of staff. The Stormont Executive must implement the right to the 30 Hours free childcare during term time enjoyed by the other regions across the UK. This is imperative to allow women to access job opportunities in well paid sustainable employment that we hope the bill will enshrine in legislation.

This would help facilitate working class families to overcome the many socio-economic barriers they have suffered due to decades of neglect. These are only the basic first steps towards dealing with the poverty, multiple deprivations, health inequalities, and generational and community inequality suffered by working class people across Northern Ireland.