Dublin: Irish trade unions have called on the government to use Ireland’s Presidency of the Council of the European Union to push for stronger protections for workers following a wave of job losses across the technology sector.
The appeal comes after major companies, including Microsoft, Meta, TikTok, Oracle, Amazon, Covalen and Genpact, announced layoffs in recent weeks. Trade unions argue that many of the job cuts are linked to the increasing adoption of artificial intelligence (AI) and wider restructuring within the industry.
Communications Workers’ Union (CWU) General Secretary Sean McDonagh said it was unacceptable that large-scale redundancies were continuing while Ireland held the EU Council presidency.
He said the Irish government has both a social and moral responsibility to use its leadership role to press technology companies to respect the fundamental rights of workers across Ireland and the European Union.
McDonagh also called for the full implementation and enforcement of EU labour protections, stressing that the social and economic contributions made by workers—as well as public investment supporting the sector—must be safeguarded.
Call for Stronger Redundancy Consultation Rules
The Financial Services Union (FSU), which represents employees in the financial services, fintech and technology sectors, has also urged the government to reform Ireland’s rules governing collective redundancies.
The union is seeking changes to the statutory 30-day consultation period for mass layoffs, arguing that the current framework does not provide a sufficiently fair, transparent or balanced process.
According to the FSU, existing legislation does not require employers to engage meaningfully with trade unions during redundancy consultations or encourage them to reach agreements with employee representatives.
FSU Head of Industrial Relations and Campaigns Gareth Murphy said the fintech and technology sectors have experienced significant job losses over the past year.
He noted that companies including TikTok, Meta and Covalen have announced substantial workforce reductions, adding that Ireland needs a stronger and more transparent consultation process to better protect employees affected by large-scale redundancies.
Irish Samachar English