Youth Connect were on the road again this week visiting 5th year LCVP students in Lucan Community College. The talk focused on the topics of Trade Unions, Worker Rights and worker inequalities.
I was very impressed at the students’ level of knowledge with regard to their rights as young workers, including the right to a minimum wage of €6.06 per hour for under 18 year olds, the right to a payslip, contract and safe working environment. Other worker rights include;
• The right to join a Trade Union;
• The right to dignity & respect in the workplace; and
• The right to rest periods, holidays and maximum working hours. (Rest periods for workers aged between 16 & 17 are 30 minutes every 4.5 hours)
The talk also included a discussion on how Trade Unions help to defend basic worker rights and ensure that young workers are not exploited in the workplace. If you are interested in finding out more information about joining a Trade Union click here.
Finally, the class were introduced to the topic of worker inequality in developing countries, (specifically the plight of Child Labourers in South East Asia and sub Saharan Africa). There are some 250 million child labourers in the world today aged between 5 and 14. Of these 250 million, some 120 million are working in full time employment, while 126 million are working in hazardous working conditions. There are campaigns, such as Labour Behind The Label and the Clean Clothes Campaign which have been established to help tackle worker exploitation (including child labourers) in the garment industry.
Thanks to all those involved in today’s talk. We hope to visit the school again soon!
Don’t forget to log on to www.studentcard.ie to get your very own iConnect student ID and discount card. The card is an excellent investment and is worth hundreds of Euros in discounts. Hurry! Currently there is an offer to be in with a chance to win two free tickets to New York if you sign up for the card before March 31st!
Until next time!
David.