Alice-Mary Higgins (Independent) | Oireachtas source

I move that No. 8 be taken before No. 1. Today I am introducing legislation relating to the adequacy of the minimum wage. I believe my colleague will be here shortly to second this amendment. I am introducing legislation in respect of the EU adequate minimum wage directive, which has been passed. A very strong and powerful campaign launched yesterday - the respect at work campaign - that points to the importance of Article 4 of that directive, namely, the protection of the right to organised and of those who are union organisers. The fact is there are huge gaps in areas such as the Unfair Dismissals Act and there is a lack of a culture of supporting unions. That directive will require the Government to show it is taking meaningful steps to move us towards an 80% union coverage or a higher union coverage. Ireland currently has woefully low union coverage despite surveys showing again and again that young people want to be part of a union. It is clear that one of the reasons they are not part of a union is because of union-busting practices and the lack of a positive culture. I refer, for example, to small measures such as the tax relief we used to have for union membership which disappeared and was never returned.

My Bill today will address not Article 4 but Article 5 of the directive. It is a really important other part of the directive which looks to the adequacy of the minimum wage. There is a reason there was such a fight to ensure that with regard to the adequate minimum wage, that the word "adequacy" is literally in the title of the directive. It is not sufficient that we have a minimum wage if people cannot live on it. Unfortunately, with regard to our current legislation, which is the Low Pay Commission legislation, I believe it is the Government's view that is sufficient for implementing the adequate minimum wage. That does not include adequacy as one of the factors considered. Currently, when determining the minimum wage, factors such as competitiveness are considered. Various other factors in terms of the sustainability of the wage level will be examined but that very base point, which is if this is an adequate wage on which individuals and families can live on and survive, is not part of the core criteria that must be considered when determining and setting the minimum wage in Ireland. In order to ensure basic decency with regard to the minimum wage and to ensure Ireland is being properly consistent with Article 5 of the minimum wage directive, it explicitly calls for and requires that states have mechanisms to determine whether their minimum wage is adequate. Those mechanisms are currently not there and not in place in terms of the legislative terms of the Low Pay Commission.

It is a very simple amendment. It literally introduces the word "adequacy" to Low Pay Commission legislation and requires there would be a report on adequacy each year in respect of the minimum wage. I am hopeful it will receive a positive place and would love if time were available on the schedule to discuss it before the Seanad suspends. I ask this be conveyed and if time is not available to have a discussion of the legislation, that the matters may perhaps be raised and discussed with the relevant Ministers. I thank the Cathaoirleach and others for facilitating the item being taken earlier.