Commenting on the Government’s proposal to cut premium pay for Sunday workers, Bishop Raymond Field, the chair of the Council for Justice and Peace of the Irish Catholic Bishops' Conference, has said the proposal to cut Sunday premium payments is a “prime example of a decision that would prioritise economic considerations at the expense of the well-being of citizens and the good of society”.
Bishop Field said the value of Sunday as a collective day of rest cannot be overestimated. “For Christians, this is a day central to the practice of our faith and our core position is that on the Sabbath day all non-essential work should be avoided. The protection of Sunday as a day of rest is vital to the physical, psychological and spiritual well-being of so many people in our society. Sunday is a time for the strengthening and protection of family life. In many households it is the only time when the whole family can be together,” he added.
Cutting Sunday premium pay would be a disappointing backwards step from a Government that began its first 100 days with the commendable decision to protect the minimum wage, according to Bishop Field.
“In making this statement the Council is mindful of the significant pressures on employers at this time - particularly in small and medium-sized enterprises. It is vital that the Government protects and supports employers - for example, by ensuring that lending practices by banks and financial institutions support those who are contributing to society through enterprise and the provision of employment.”
Bishop Field concluded: “It is equally vital, however, that any measures adopted to promote economic recovery are assessed for their impact on the most vulnerable in our society and on the common good.”
