Paul Murphy (Dublin South West, RISE) | Oireachtas source

The Council of Europe has found that Ireland is in breach of its labour rights obligations. In its conclusions, the European Committee of Social Rights stated that the situation in Ireland is not in conformity with Article 4.1 of the European Social Charter on the ground that the minimum wage paid to workers of 18 and 19 years of age does not ensure a decent standard of living. The committee is referring specifically to the scandalous situation of so-called sub-minimum rates of pay whereby employers are legally permitted to pay young people even less than the inadequate minimum wage. Those aged 17 and under can be paid 70% of the minimum wage, which is less than €8 per hour. Those aged 18 can be paid 80% of the minimum wage, and 19-years-olds can be paid 90% of the minimum wage. Will the Government be taking the opportunity this week to rectify that situation by allowing our Bill to abolish sub-minimum rates of pay to ensure pay equality for young workers pass through Second Stage in the Dáil?

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