Migrant workers will present a petition of 4,000 signatures to Minister for Enterprise Micheál Martin this evening in support of changes to the law regulating their employment in the State.
Enamur Chowdhury, MRCI campaign group
The campaign - supported by the Migrant Rights Centre Ireland (MRCI) - is seeking, among other changes, the right to work for spouses of work permit holders.
They have proposed a number of amendments to the Employment Permits Bill before the Dáil and due to be finalised shortly.
Enamur Chowdhury of the campaign group said: "We welcome the progress made, especially that work permits are to be issued for up to two years. Our understanding is that migrant workers will have the right to change jobs.
"This will improve the situation of people working under the work permit system, and remove some of the conditions that facilitate the exploitation of migrant workers by some employers."
Migrant workers from a number of countries including Bangladesh, the Ukraine and the Philippines, collected the signatures over the past six months and exceeded a target of 1,000 names on the petition.
The group also conducted a letter-writing campaign to local TDs and members of the Joint Committee on Enterprise and Small Business, which recently drafted amendments on the Bill.
Helen Lowry of MRCI said the organisation welcomed the changes that it understood had been made to the legislation as a result of the campaign. But she said there was still along way to go to secure full protection for migrant workers and their employment status.