Pro bono under the spotlight – MRCI's Labour of Love Campaign

MRCI is a national organisation working to promote justice, empowerment and equality for migrant workers and their families. 

MRCI recently launched a campaign called the Labour of Love focused on the rights of workers in private homes across Ireland.  The campaign aims to combat the widespread underpayment, exploitation and abuse of workers providing essential care and housekeeping services. Labour of Love calls for:

1. The recognition of the employment rights of au pairs, including the right to minimum wage, and
2. The introduction of a work permit for the domestic work sector, to recognise increased labour market demand for migrant workers in the provision of care and domestic labour in private homes across Ireland.                                                                            

As part of its campaign, MRCI sought legal assistance through the PILA Pro Bono Referral Scheme on the applicable legal framework in relation to au pair employment and au pair employment agencies in Ireland. Through its extensive network of legal practitioners, PILA was able to source an expert barrister Cathy Smith BL who undertook the matter on a pro bono basis.  The legal opinion found that while au pairs are protected by minimum wage legislation, unfortunately people within those positions simply are not aware of their rights. This campaign seeks to address this.

Speaking about the referral process, Cathy Smith BL commented that “in preparing an opinion for MRCI, I found it very interesting to research and consider a group of employees and their rights under employment legislation, which I had not previously considered. It is always interesting to consider how existing law can be applied in a new way. I was happy to be of assistance with MRCI and found them to be helpful and professional at all times”.

Aoife Smith, Co-ordinator of the MRCI’s Domestic Workers Action Group, explained how the Labour of Love campaign is strengthened by the legal opinion obtained from Cathy Smith through PILA: ‘The legal opinion has given us credible evidence which supports MRCI case work and grassroots campaign work with migrant women employed in the private home sector as childminders and au pairs. We are using the legal opinion as part of our campaign to inform media, politicians, policy makers, au pairs and employers of existing legislation relevant for the au pair industry and workers. PILAs services in this regard are invaluable to community groups and NGOs such as MRCI who can access expert legal counsel on issues central to progressing social justice work’.

To find out the various ways in which your organisation can access pro bono legal support, please contact the PILA Project Officer, Eamonn Tansey at Eamonn.tansey@flac.ie or 01-8873629.