Sir, – From the hallowed and privileged environs of the World Economic Forum in Davos emerges the news that, according to a new study of the global labour market entitled the Global Talent Competitiveness Index 2014, Ireland is not doing enough in terms of “labour competitiveness” and “flexibility” and is lagging behind such inspirational role models as Britain and the US (“Ireland failing ‘home-grown’ talent, says report”, January 21st) .
Well, according to a 2013 survey of its members, Unite, Britain’s biggest union, suggested that as many as 5.5 million Britons are employed on zero-hour contracts. As for the US and “job flexibility”, well the US boasts one of the lowest rates of unionisation among the world’s industrialised nations so that speaks for itself.
Nevertheless, shame on us as a nation and all our Government’s endeavours because our economy is still not “open” enough, which, roughly translated, means we still haven’t enough jobs incorporating the aforementioned zero-hour contracts, union-free labour, minimum wage, minimum job security, maximum job instability because, unless I’m mistaken, that’s what “open” and “flexible” really mean, don’t they? – Yours, etc,
JD MANGAN,
Stillorgan, Co Dublin.