The Workers’ Party has attacked a survey released today by a private Human Resources company as a flawed and outrageous slur on hundreds of thousands of Irish workers.

Workers Party President Michael Finnegan was reacting to the survey which was produced by Peninsula Ireland Ltd, a company which provides personnel management and legal advice and services to employers. Mr. Finnegan said that the survey, which claimed that 69% of workers steal from their employers, is seriously flawed and was carried out with a pre-determined agenda to blacken the name of workers and promote the company’s services to employers.

“This so-called survey is an outrageous slur on the working people of Ireland. It alleges to represent the anonymously volunteered views of workers in relation to theft from their workplaces.  It is neither independent nor scientifically reliable and was primarily carried out in order to grab headlines on behalf of Peninsula Ireland”, said Mr. Finnegan.

The Workers’ Party President strongly criticised RTÉ and other media outlets for headlining the survey in news bulletins and he called for a strong response from the Irish Congress of Trade Unions and the government.

“This company has effectively accused most of the workers of Ireland of being thieves. The company is in the business of advising employers and is paid by employers to act on its behalf against workers. It is a survey without a shred of credibility and I am calling on the trade union movement to come out strongly against it.  I also call on the government to ensure that it does not employ the services of this company for its human resources management. It’s methods and claims are beneath contempt”, said Mr. Finnegan.

Issued 10th August 2010