Updated 36 minutes ago
THE GOVERNMENT IS set to phase in a ‘living wage’ over the next four years, under plans to scrap the minimum wage by 2026.
Plans announced by Tánaiste Leo Varadkar this afternoon would see the living wage labelled as 60% of the median wage in any given year, with the minimum wage rising each year until it catches up with the living wage.
He said the Commission has a statutory basis in law, while other groups that believe a higher rate is needed, do not.
Currently, the living wage is 12.17 an hour while the minimum wage is 10.50 an hour.
Under the plan, from 2026 the minimum wage would be scrapped and the living wage would be the lowest wage payable to employees.
The plan comes following a report from the Low Pay Commission, which Varadkar sought last year.
Varadkar says that a public consultation will get underway, with final decisions being made in September before changes are made to the scheme in January next year.
Varadkar says there are plans to phase in the living wage - a public consultation will now be rolled out on the proposals.
— Christina Finn (@christinafinn8) June 14, 2022
Decisions will be made in September with changes to come in from January . pic.twitter.com/qJqCR2DeQi
Varadkar said the 12.17 rate is an “an objective basis for calculation” which was backed up by research.
The rate is far lower than what unions previously estimated, putting forward proposals that the average...
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