Minimum Wage Should Apply to Young People Equally says Youth Work Ireland
Youth Work Ireland has condemned the inequitable treatment of young people with relation to the minimum wage. The organisation has said that all people should be treated equally for work of equal value.
A differential minimum wage has operated for people under 18 since the inception of the measure. The organisation believes that the state does not intervene to restrict the rights of any other group of workers and adjust the value of their work, it further believes that this exemption might be questionable under EU law and others areas.
“It seems quite amazing in this day and age that the state excludes young people working side by side in employment with others from the benefit of the minimum wage. Once more this would be intolerable if applied to any other group in society. The introduction of this measurement many years ago was unacceptable and remains so with successive increases. Every person should be treated fairly according to the work that they do” said Michael Mc Loughlin of Youth Work Ireland
“Many young people play a hugely important role in our modern economy in services, retail and other areas. If they are doing work of equal value they should receive the appropriate pay and conditions. We wouldn’t withhold benefits such as health and safety from these workers so the minimum wage should apply also. Treating young people unfairly at work will damage employers in the long term, the trade union movement should take a greater interest in this area” he concluded.