Unions Protest for Workers' Rights in EU Public Procurement Rules

Union members in cleaning and security sectors will protest this week in Dublin and Paris, advocating for workers’ rights to be included in public procurement contracts. This action coincides with Ireland's EU presidency and the anticipated publication of new EU rules later this year.

Siptu is organizing the Dublin event, outside the Office of Government Procurement on Mayor Street, in conjunction with UNI Europa. The EU's review of procurement rules, which included a public consultation, found strong support for simplified tendering, corrections to bid documents, and easier consortium formation for SMEs. A majority of trade unions also favored breaking down large contracts into smaller units.

Almost 90 per cent of respondents believed a greater emphasis on quality would better achieve environmental, social, and innovation goals. 64 per cent supported incentivizing socially responsible public procurement, with 52 per cent favoring mandatory requirements. Adrian Kane of Siptu urged the Irish Government to include strong worker protections, collective bargaining, and fair employment standards in the National Public Procurement Strategy. Michala Lafferty of UNI emphasized that revising procurement rules is an opportunity to improve workers' lives amidst the cost-of-living crisis.