Migrant working conditions

New research on the working conditions of migrant women in Ireland reveals widespread exploitation. Sara Burke reports

An Eastern European migrant worker picking mushroooms was paid less than a euro an hour, often worked 80 hours a week, got €1.50 per hour overtime and was sacked for complaining about her working conditions.

Another woman who worked as a meat packer came to Ireland from Southern Africa, through a recruitment company which gave her a seven-month contract paying €130 per week. She often worked ten hours a day. When she learned that Irish women working aongside her were receiving the miminum wage, she asked why, and was let go.

A Russian woman doctor who has been living here for four years, whose husband has a work permit, cannot find legal employment due to restrictions on the work permit scheme. Her options are to not work, or to work illegally in low-paid work, such as housekeeping.

These are just three of the women whose stories are documented in new research on migrant women in Ireland by Jane Pillinger.

Forty per cent of migrant workers in Ireland are women, and many of these are facing exploitation, she found. Women migrant workers here primarily work in traditional areas of women's labour: catering, domestic work, care and health services. Often this type of work is under-valued, low-paid and unregulated, and is therefore easily exploited.

Although many migrant women are well educated, they are over-represented in the lower-skilled jobs. They commonly come to Ireland without their children, leaving them in the care of family members in their home country, and then send their wages back home to support the family.

Pillinger held interviews with 36 migrant women from 19 different countries, working in a variety of industries – horticulture, IT, care, health services, catering and hospitality.

Many of the women had difficulty settling in Ireland and had little if any information on what services were available to them. As well as low pay and poor working conditions, they complained of harassment, discrimination, loneliness and social isolation.

Those married to men with work permits have particular difficulties, as they are barred from working and have limited access to child benefit, social welfare, health and other services: for their first two years in Ireland, they have just "emergency" entitlements to such services.

The majority of the women interviewed earn significantly more in Ireland, even on wages below the minimum wage, then they could earn at home.

Most of the women said they would prefer to be at home if the economic conditions were better there. Amongst the positive aspects of their work in Ireland, they cited the ability to be financially independent, to provide better support from their families at home, and opportunities for career development and progression.

Some of the women said they felt empowered by earning money to support their families, and many want to stay in Ireland long term.

Jane Pillinger presented her research at a seminar on migrant women in Trinity College Dublin on 12 December 2005.

Tags: