Section 39 workers
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There is a group of people that Irish folklore tends to forget. They are not the fairies or the banshees, but rather the people who work in Section 39 organizations. These organizations are funded by the government, but they are not considered to be part of the public sector. This means that the people who work in these organizations do not have the same pay and benefits as public sector workers.
The vast majority of the workers in Section 39 organizations are women. They are often single parents or the primary caregivers for their families. They work in jobs such as childcare, elderly care, and disability services. These are jobs that are essential to our society, but they are often undervalued and underpaid.
The people who work in Section 39 organizations have been fighting for years for equal pay and benefits. They have held protests, they have lobbied the government, and they have even gone on strike. But so far, they have not been successful.
The government has argued that it cannot afford to give Section 39 workers the same pay and benefits as public sector workers. But this argument is disingenuous. The government has plenty of money to give to its friends in the private sector. It just doesn't have the money to give to the people who work in essential services.
The people who work in Section 39 organizations deserve better. They deserve to be paid a fair wage for the essential work that they do. They deserve to have the same benefits as public sector workers. And they deserve to be treated with respect.
It is time for the government to stop ignoring the people who work in Section 39 organizations. It is time to give them the pay and benefits that they deserve.