Willie O'Dea (Limerick City, Fianna Fail)

The legislation provides that the joint labour committee can recommend minimum rates of remuneration. For certain categories of people, including trainees, it can recommend minimum rates of remuneration that are a percentage of the recommended rates. In my amendment, I seek to ensure this training period cannot last indefinitely. Most employers are responsible but there are those who will try to use this to pay people less on the basis they are trainees and they are therefore entitled to pay them less. I am trying to achieve that a trainee should be someone undertaking a specific course that will finish within a specific time and when the course has concluded successfully, that person can then step up.

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