A new law which will benefit thousands of temporary workers by giving them a range of new rights has been welcomed by the Irish Congress of Trade Unions.
The Protection of Employees (Fixed Term Work) Act makes it illegal to treat temporary fixed-term workers less favourably than permanent staff in relation to pay and all other conditions.
The Act came into operation last month, two years after the EU deadline for implementation.
Congress assistant general secretary Ms Joan Carmichael said the law meant workers could no longer be subject to "renewal after renewal of temporary fixed-term contracts when in fact their job should be filled on a permanent basis".
The legislation, she said, contained a broad definition of the term "temporary fixed-term worker".
"A temporary fixed-term worker cannot be treated less favourably than a comparable permanent worker in respect of pay, pensions and all other conditions of employment," she said.
For a fixed-term worker employed before July 14th last, who had completed three years of continuous employment on or after that date, his or her fixed-term contract could be renewed on only one occasion and for a period of no longer than one year.
For fixed-term workers employed after July 14th, the aggregate duration of two or more contracts cannot exceed four years.
Employers are prohibited from dismissing workers for the purpose of preventing a fixed-term worker from gaining permanent status.