Trade union Mandate bids to get rid of zero hour contracts
One of the country's biggest trade unions will launch its latest bid later to get rid of zero hours contracts.
Mandate claims more than 100,000 workers are employed using them.
The union has now written a charter that bosses can follow to give staff security over their hours and incomes.
But Deputy Editor of The Times John Walsh says it's not a big problem here.
He said: "In Britain it found that zero hour contracts were very prevalent, the debate shifted here and the assumption was that they were also very prevalent in Ireland but they're not ."
According to the union, workers without fixed hour contracts dread looking at their rosters.
The Union says tens of thousands of workers in many sectors, including retail, hospitality and the media, don't know from week to week what hours and income they'll have.
Muire Dalton is a Mandate Shop Steward in Dunnes Stores.
She said: "I actually dread looking at the roster, it is emotionally draining, it's stressful, you're always concerned about how you're going to pay the bills, I have a mortgage.
"You're constantly hoping that you have the hours at the end of the week, so it is very very stressful."
