A majority of Irish workers believe their pay does not fairly reflect the skills and effort they bring to their jobs, according to new polling published earlier this week by the Irish Congress of Trade Unions (ICTU). 

The Ireland Thinks poll of 1,850 people reveals that 52% of workers say their current pay fails to match their contribution to their job, compared to just 44% who feel fairly compensated. 

The survey reveals that the sense of unfair pay is compounded by workers' lack of influence in the workplace. A striking seven out of ten (68%) workers polled feel they do not have the same level of power as their employer when negotiating terms of employment. Just one in four workers (24%) believe they can negotiate on equal footing with their employer. 

Commenting on the findings, Fórsa deputy general secretary and ICTU vice-president Katie Morgan said: “Economies that put collective bargaining at the centre of their labour market are more successful, more productive, and more equal. Strong worker voices lead to better jobs and stronger economic performance.  

“In the absence of a strong collective bargaining arrangement for Irish workers, these survey results should not surprise Government, but should serve as a warning,” she emphasised. 

The polling reveals particularly sharp disparities across groups: 

• Women are significantly more likely than men to feel shut out of workplace decisions, with less than half (48%) saying they have a meaningful say, compared to 60% of men.
• Younger workers aged 18-34 are least likely to feel they have equal negotiating power with employers (17%), compared to 37% of those aged 65+. 
• Workers who identify as working class are more likely to say their pay is unfair (66% say no) compared to middle class workers (40% say no). 

The findings come as the Irish Congress of Trade Unions launches its Good Jobs report, calling on the Government to raise employment standards. The report follows similar proposals from the European Commission and the Northern Ireland Executive, as well as a new Employment Rights Act recently passed into law in Britain.  

Among other measures, the report calls for Government to: 

• End the employer veto and ensure workers have a legal right to engage in collective bargaining through a union. 
• Raise minimum employment standards, by increasing statutory sick leave, and bringing the minimum wage into line with the living wage. 
• Provide better work-life balance through pay-related family leave benefits and flexible working arrangements.  

Katie added: “Irish workers want the Government to live up to its own commitments. The findings of the High-Level Group on Collective Bargaining were clear, workers need a real, enforceable right to bargain collectively if they are to have a meaningful voice in their workplaces.” 

“Across Europe, these policies are becoming the norm. The British Government has passed the most significant employment rights legislation in decades. The Northern Ireland Executive has proposed its own Good Jobs Bill. The European Commission is advancing a Quality Jobs Act. Yet Irish workers are being left behind by their own government,” she said. 

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