In a significant move, the Irish parliament (Oireachtas) has cleared a bill that will allow work permit holders to change employer after a period of nine months.
The Employment Permits bill 2022, which cleared the final stages of the Oireachtas on Wednesday, will now be signed into law by the President.
At present, work permit holders are required to stay with their employer for at least 12 months, unless there are exceptional circumstances.
Describing the move as a “vital new protection for workers”, the Migrant Rights Centre Ireland (MRCI) said it will “significantly reduce the risk of exploitation”.
“The right to change employer for work permit holders is a major victory for thousands of people across Ireland who provide vital care for older people, build our roads and houses, drive our buses and pick, process and cook our food on a daily basis,” MRCI Director Edel McGinley said.
McGinley continued, “The work permit system has for too long tied a person to one employer and as a result they were easily taken advantage of. In our experience restricting a person to one employer has been the biggest factor leading to the cases of gross exploitation of migrant workers that we come across.”
McGinley also urged Minister of State for Employment and Business, Emer Higgins, “to quickly put in place the new procedures necessary to enable people to change employer.”
“This is a real leap forward in terms of worker rights and recognition, and we hope it paves the way for equal rights for all people who come to Ireland for work,” the MRCI director added.