The Irish Congress of Trade Unions (ICTU) has urged the Government to end pay discrimination and called for Oireachtas members to back the National Minimum Wage (Inclusion of Young Persons, Apprentices and Interns) Bill 2025, tabled by Senator Nessa Cosgrove. 

The bill seeks to bring the minimum wage for workers aged under 21 and in apprenticeships into line with the wider workforce and was debated in the Seanad on Wednesday (17th December).  

Currently, under the Minimum Wage Act, workers under the age of 21 have a lower minimum wage than the rest of the working population. Apprentices are outside the scope of the Act. ICTU has long argued that this is grossly unfair and out of line with how the majority of member states treat younger workers. 

In a statement, ICTU said the ending of the sub-minimal rates of pay was unanimously recommended by the Low Pay Commission last year, on the back of impact analysis by the Economic and Social Research Institute (ESRI). In June this year, the Commission again called for sub-minimum wage rates for younger workers to be abolished and for this to remain a priority for Government. 

ICTU said the Government has used multiple delaying tactics to avoid acting on this recommendation and now plans to postpone a decision until 2029, after the next election. 

Congress general secretary Owen Reidy said: “Everyone deserves decent pay for a day’s work. Yet, at a time when people are struggling with the cost of living, the Government continues to suppress pay for young adults and other young workers.” 

“Young workers and apprentices pay the same rent and the same bills and taxes as everyone else. Ireland is now one of only a small handful of EU member states to allow employers pay reduced rates based on an employees’ age. 

“The Low Pay Commission was twice unanimous in calling for an end to sub-minimum rates of pay. The ESRI impact analysis shows that removal of the rates would have minimal impact on businesses. What’s more, good employers are being undercut by bosses benefitting from subminimum wage rates. 

“There is no objective justification for maintaining these rates, which also puts the Government in breach of the EU Adequate Minimum Wage Directive.

“Faced with independent advice, their own report, and a European directive, the Government continues to leave young workers working for less. We’re urging Oireachtas members to rectify this and back the bill”.   

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