Unite’s Ireland Secretary Jimmy Kelly yesterday claimed that the Living Wage  – currently €11.50 – must become the new Minimum Wage over the medium term. 

He was speaking ahead of the Living Wage Forum being convened on Wednesday by Business and Employment Minister Gerald Nash. 
 
Kelly commented, "Ireland has the third highest incidence of low pay in the EU15. Over a quarter of all employees earn below the hourly Living Wage  – but even this shocking figure understates the number of people earning below a Living Income.

"Many people cannot get the hours they want to earn a full weekly wage, while others suffer periodic stretches between work.  

He added, "The Living Wage forum is a welcome recognition of the crisis that is low pay. But all parties need to recognise that the Living Wage will not be achieved through voluntary means: it will require a series of concrete policy measures to ensure that no-one earns below this decency benchmark."

Source: www.businessworld.ie