Summer jobs must be fairly paid – age wage discrimination must end
Summer jobs must be fairly paid - age wage discrimination must end - The Labour Party
Labour’s workers rights spokesperson Senator Nessa Cosgrove has called on Government to end age wage discrimination by putting an end to sub minimum wage rates for young people at work.
As young people start looking for summer work, Cosgrove said the Irish Government must wake up and stop turning a blind eye to the poor rates of pay for work for young people.
Since 1 January 2025, the national minimum wage is €13.50 per hour. However, young people continue to be discriminated against when it comes to pay rates.
Anyone working under the age of 18 is only entitled to 70% of the national minimum wage (€9.45 per hour), while 18 year olds can be paid as low as 80% of the national minimum wage (€10.80), and 19 year olds can be paid only 90% (€12.15).
Senator Cosgrove said:
“Ireland continues to infantilise young people here by turning a blind eye to the culture of unpaid internships that exists, as well as the fact that young workers are treated so unfairly when it comes to minimum rates of pay.
“As secondary schools break for summer, I’m calling on Government to stamp out the unfair practice of allowing sub-minimum rates of pay for our young people.
“This is a question of equality. People working the exact same job, carrying out the exact same tasks, can currently be paid a different rate for no reason other than their age. It’s age-based discrimination against our young people and it’s simply unfair.
“Too many employers take advantage of the opportunity this Government gives them to pay those under the age of 20 less than the minimum wage.
“Businesses in hospitality and tourism in particular rely heavily on our young people to get them through the busy summer season.
“In the majority of cases, these young people are carrying out the exact same work as their colleagues but, because of their age, they are entitled to less wages than each other. It’s fundamentally unfair.
“It’s a change that the Labour Party has long called for, but Fine Gael continue to allow this wage discrimination against young people. As Ireland’s school completion rates become the envy of other countries, the rationale for pay discrimination which leaves young people so vulnerable cannot hold water. It’s time to act now and treat our young people with dignity at work now.”