Paul Murphy: Calls for €15 Minimum Wage and Cost-of-Living Revolt
Paul Murphy said Ireland is a "republic of low pay" and demanded a €15 minimum wage, an end to youth pay exemptions, and stronger enforcement of wage laws. He accused the government of allowing poverty wages and announced a cost-of-living coalition and public demonstrations starting next Thursday at the Dáil and culminating on June 18.
Low pay statistics
Over 370,000 workers were described as low paid, with many still living below the poverty line in what Murphy called the fifth richest country per capita. He highlighted that a majority of hospitality workers and one third of workers in retail, food production, administration and entertainment are officially low paid.
Demand for a €15 minimum wage
Murphy argued "it's time to outlaw poverty pay" by raising the minimum wage to a living wage and closing loopholes and exemptions employers use. He said young workers can be paid as little as $7.35 an hour and that 10,000 young workers legally earn less than the minimum wage — reasons he introduced the Equal Pay for Young Workers bill.
Cost-of-living coalition and planned actions
He called for a "revolt" to demand action on the cost-of-living crisis, urging people to build a movement of ordinary people and to protest profiteering by energy companies, low pay, and inadequate social welfare rates. He put the government on notice and said the coalition will begin street actions next Thursday at the Dáil at lunchtime and will build to a major national demonstration on June 18.
Enforcement and political pressure
Murphy insisted that stronger enforcement and the removal of exemptions are necessary to stop a "race to the bottom" by employers. He framed the campaign as both a legislative effort and a public mobilisation to press the government for pay increases and better protections for workers.
We publish thousands of recordings to make Irish politics transparent and resistant to manipulation. Spotted an error? Report it — together we are building a reliable archive of Irish politics.
Thank you very much. Ireland isn't just a rip-off republic, it's a republic of low pay. Over 370,000 workers in this country are regarded as low paid. Sometimes the government likes to repeat the Thatcherite mantra that work is the way out of poverty, but for one in five of those in work it certainly isn't, because they're still living below the poverty line in what is the fifth richest country in the world. per capita. A majority of hospitality workers are low paid. One third of workers in retail, food production, admin and entertainment are officially low paid. These are the essential workers that the government clapped for during the pandemic. The workers stocking the shelves and keeping shops open. The workers running the pubs and restaurants that were missed so much when they were closed. The arts and entertainment workers who have had such a difficult few years and all they have a return to now is a return to low pay. These workers deserve a raise. It's time to outlaw poverty pay by raising the minimum wage for a living wage for all. We need to fight for a €15 an hour minimum wage so that no worker is left in poverty. I also want to make the point that we must get rid of the various loopholes and exemptions that bosses make use of to get around paying the minimum wage. It is outrageous that young workers in this country can be paid as low as $7.35 an hour. There are 10,000 young workers in this country earning less than the minimum wage legally as bosses push a race to the bottom that is bad for all workers. The government allows this. It seems to think that young people are just working to earn some extra pocket money for the weekend when many are trying desperately to cover bills, to move out on their own or contribute to their family. And they should not be paid a poverty wage. That's why I brought forward the Equal Pay for Young Workers bill to end that discrimination once and for all. The final point I want to make is this obviously is one side of the cost of living crisis with bills going up but wages remaining stagnant. We need a revolt in this country to demand action on the cost of living, including fighting for pay increases. We need to build a movement of ordinary people. We need to get out on the streets to tackle the profiteering of the energy companies, to tackle the low pay, to tackle the poverty rates of social welfare payments. I am putting the government on notice. A cost of living coalition is being built to bring people out onto the streets, starting next Thursday at the Dáil at lunchtime, building to a major national demonstration on June 18th. At the end of
Thank you for downloading 🙏
If you publish this material on social media, we would be very grateful if you tagged VideoParliament. It helps us reach more people and keep building a transparent archive of Irish politics.
