Fórsa has backed Irish Congress of Trade Unions’ (ICTU) call on Minister for Justice Jim O’Callaghan to take immediate action in response to the growing number of violent incidents and hostile behaviour directed at minority communities and migrant workers. 

In a letter to the minister this week, ICTU president Phil Ní Sheaghdha highlighted what she described as a “deeply troubling rise” in assaults, harassment and hate-motivated aggression. She said the unions’ overriding concern “is to keep members safe and to ensure they are not intimidated or subjected to any form of aggression while attending or departing from work.” 

Many of the incidents have involved workers travelling to and from their workplaces, often late in the evening, and have disproportionately affected internationally educated workers, including nurses and health staff. Examples shared with ICTU reveal a pattern of verbal abuse, intimidation and physical threats occurring on public transport and in public spaces.

In its correspondence, ICTU noted that many migrant workers who have lived and worked in Ireland for decades report that this level of hostility is new and escalating. The situation is especially acute in the health sector, where shift patterns frequently require staff to travel at night, heightening their vulnerability to anti-social behaviour and targeted hostility.

Phil urged the Minister to consider in full the measures advanced through the SIPTU-led Respect Transport Workers campaign. These include establishing a Public Transport Charter outlining unacceptable behaviours and penalties, a Transport Forum with trade union representation, and a dedicated Transport Policing Service with the appropriate enforcement powers across all modes of transport. 

She said:  “This is an issue of public safety, but also of workers' rights. It’s clear the Government is looking to project a tough line on migration, but without action, it risks being a soft touch when it comes to worker safety. We are urging the Minister to seriously examine proposals, including assessing the penalties that apply to convictions under hate crime legislation, to ensure that everyone is safe on public transport.” 

Fórsa general secretary Kevin Callinan said the growing number of incidents demanded effective action: “ICTU’s proposals provide a clear and credible path forward. We urge the Minister to act swiftly so that every worker, in every community, can travel without fear. All workers must be safe on their way to work, on their way home, and in every public space.  

“No worker should face intimidation, hostility or hate simply for travelling to do their job. The surge in targeted aggression towards workers from a migrant or minority ethnic is intolerable, and Government intervention is now essential,” he said.

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