[Ireland] Under-18s ‘exploited by €7.91 minimum wage

An Irish TD has spoken out in a media interview to say that more than 34,000 young workers are “being exploited” by employers paying them the under-18s minimum wage, Newstalk reports.

Under current minimum wage requirements in Ireland, workers aged 20 years and over must be paid €11.30 an hour. 19-year-olds are entitled to €10.17 an hour, while 18-year-olds can be paid €9.04 an hour. Under-18s must earn at least €7.91.

People Before Profit reportedly drafted an Equal Pay for Young Workers Bill 2022 conceived to equalise rates of pay across all age groups.

In her interview on The Pat Kenny Show, Deputy Smith said the bill was inspired by a member of People Before Profit.

“Nicole worked in the Santa’s Grotto at Christmas when she was doing her Leaving Cert and she was doing the very same job alongside other people who were getting €3, €4, €5 an hour more than her,” she said.

“That could be quite insulting to people to say that there is a difference.”

During the interview, Deputy Smith said service industry employers who argue that there is an age-based difference in workloads and effort are unfair.

“To say that there's a difference between how a 17-year-old hands you a sandwich and a cup of tea, as against a 20-year-old is stretching it a bit,” she said.

“The Council of Europe has recently found that Ireland is guilty of discrimination against young workers.

“It is a clear form of discrimination for people doing the same work for different rates of pay.

“It's older workers who are paid €11.90 on the minimum wage and [they] replace them with younger workers who can be paid €7, €8, €9 and that's happening in a deliberate, formative way.

“In the current cost of living and housing crisis, people working hours at minimum or low precarious job security are extraordinarily vulnerable to poverty, mental health problems or homelessness – this is the European Council saying that.”

Deputy Smith reportedly stated that young people should incur “no penalty” for their status as an employee who is not permitted to perform all required tasks because of their age.

“Those who are not doing the Leaving Cert yet, schools are closed and they’re pouring out and they're looking for work,” she said.

“They deserve to be paid properly for the work they do.”

Source: Newstalk

(Link and quotes via original reporting)

An Irish TD has spoken out in a media interview to say that more than 34,000 young workers are “being exploited” by employers paying them the under-18s minimum wage, Newstalk reports.

Under current minimum wage requirements in Ireland, workers aged 20 years and over must be paid €11.30 an hour. 19-year-olds are entitled to €10.17 an hour, while 18-year-olds can be paid €9.04 an hour. Under-18s must earn at least €7.91.

People Before Profit reportedly drafted an Equal Pay for Young Workers Bill 2022 conceived to equalise rates of pay across all age groups.

In her interview on The Pat Kenny Show, Deputy Smith said the bill was inspired by a member of People Before Profit.

“Nicole worked in the Santa’s Grotto at Christmas when she was doing her Leaving Cert and she was doing the very same job alongside other people who were getting €3, €4, €5 an hour more than her,” she said.

“That could be quite insulting to people to say that there is a difference.”

During the interview, Deputy Smith said service industry employers who argue that there is an age-based difference in workloads and effort are unfair.

“To say that there's a difference between how a 17-year-old hands you a sandwich and a cup of tea, as against a 20-year-old is stretching it a bit,” she said.

“The Council of Europe has recently found that Ireland is guilty of discrimination against young workers.

“It is a clear form of discrimination for people doing the same work for different rates of pay.

“It's older workers who are paid €11.90 on the minimum wage and [they] replace them with younger workers who can be paid €7, €8, €9 and that's happening in a deliberate, formative way.

“In the current cost of living and housing crisis, people working hours at minimum or low precarious job security are extraordinarily vulnerable to poverty, mental health problems or homelessness – this is the European Council saying that.”

Deputy Smith reportedly stated that young people should incur “no penalty” for their status as an employee who is not permitted to perform all required tasks because of their age.

“Those who are not doing the Leaving Cert yet, schools are closed and they’re pouring out and they're looking for work,” she said.

“They deserve to be paid properly for the work they do.”

Source: Newstalk

(Link and quotes via original reporting)