ESRI research published in November 2023 showed that while all employees aged 15–19 could legally be paid a sub-minimum youth rate, just under one-quarter are actually paid this rate. Should those lower rates be abolished altogether? Photograph: Agency StockYoung people can leave school at 16, drive at 17 and vote at 18.
These figures are based on someone earning the full minimum wage : imagine the hardship some students face if they are 18, paid below the minimum wage, with no financial support from their family. Jamie Mac Giolla Bháin is an economics, politics and law student at Dublin City University and a sustainable development-focused youth activist
Many arguments can be made in favour of the abolition of sub-minimum rates. The “equal pay for equal work” argument has a veneer of common sense about it, but is ultimately simplistic. The “equal work” argument falls flat when the law itself restricts the terms of employment for workers under the age of 18. The Protection of Young Persons Act provides for working limits, time off, and breaks for young workers that are more restrictive than those for adults.
We also oppose removal of sub-minimum rates because it is clear that they are not being abused. Economic and Social Research Institute