The Workers Party Women’s Committee is calling on the Justice Minister to investigate whether there is systemic misogynistic behaviour within the PSNI as there have been a number of cases regarding sexual abuse of vulnerable women by serving police officers. The fact that a high-ranking female officer has won a discrimination case against the service for the sexual discrimination she suffered at the hands of her superiors, and ignored the relentless misogynistic behaviour inflicted on her, does not inspire confidence, that women in need of help and support would be treated any differently, and must be addressed as a matter of urgency.

 

Violence and abuse against women and girls is on the increase and women are dependent on the justice system to protect them, that means the police service must be free from all forms of discrimination including misogyny. How can the female population be expected to put their faith in an institution that could be construed as being misogynistic.

The publication of the list of employers who failed to pay their workforce the minimum wage is nothing short of scandalous.

Those companies and individual employers who have been named and shamed, and it comes as no surprise that a home care provider has been included, perhaps the new minister will now view the privatisation of home-care services, as a result of Transforming Your Care in a new light, and the Health Committee will fight to bring those services back into the health and social care service for the benefit of the workers and the service users.

 

Listed companies are also huge retailers, hotels, solicitors, youth groups and children’s centre and nurseries. All of these employers would have sufficient revenue turnover to pay their workers a real living wage but the capitalist system that our government supports, deny those they employ even the statutory minimum wage. This exploitation cannot be justified. Their poverty wages are as a result of greed and the pursuit of profit. It is time that the Executive took firm action and introduced the Good Jobs Bill.

Some of the employers named are based in areas with the highest rates of poverty and multiple deprivations, which adds injury to insult, and makes them totally unscrupulous, because they are aware of the law, and are exploiting the employment insecurity in those areas. These despicable practices deserve more than a fine and being named and shamed, they should face the courts in the same way so called benefits cheats do, after all they have cheated workers out of their rightful benefits. The Workers Party believes that only in a socialist society, workers can achieve their full rights, but until then we will stand shoulder to shoulder with those who are exploited and oppressed by the capitalist system.