Uploaded June 2021 | Updated September 2026, 3 days ago
Low pay is endemic in the Irish Republic. One in five workers is officially categorised as ‘low-paid’ – that is over 300,000 women and men. Women are particularly affected. Whereas 16.7% of male workers suffer low-pay, nearly 23% of women workers are impacted. Young people and precarious workers are particularly hard hit with over a third of young people (29 years and younger) low paid.
Low-paid workers are paid below the Living Wage. Over half of all hospitality workers are low-paid as are a third of workers in the retail, administrative, arts & entertainment and personal services sectors.
"Low Pay Republic: Combatting Low Pay in the Irish Labour Market" is a conversation between Ethel Buckley, Deputy General Secretary for Organising and Membership Development with Professor Mary Murphy, Professor Seán Ó Riain and Michael Taft on low pay and the suite of labour market and enterprise-level policies which are required to tackle Ireland’s low pay epidemic.
Mary Murphy is senior lecturer in Irish Politics and Society in the Maynooth University Department of Sociology. She is a member of the Council of State. Her research interests include public policy, labour markets and social security, power and civil society and gender.
Seán Ó Riain is Professor of Sociology at the National University of Ireland Maynooth. His research interests are in the sociology of work and employment, comparative political economy, inequality and social change and the global information economy.
Michael Taft is a Researcher in SIPTU. He represents the Irish Congress of Trade Unions on the Low Pay Commission.
“Low Pay Republic: Combatting Low Pay in the Irish Labour Market” is part of the Workplace Democracy Campaign.
The campaign promotes the many social, equality, economic and political benefits of trade unionism. It is one of a series of Workplace Democracy Workshops.
Low pay is endemic in the Irish Republic. One in five workers is officially categorised as ‘low-paid’ – that is over 300,000 women and men. Women are particularly affected. Whereas 16.7% of male workers suffer low-pay, nearly 23% of women workers are impacted. Young people and precarious workers are particularly hard hit with over a third of young people (29 years and younger) low paid.
Low-paid workers are paid below the Living Wage. Over half of all hospitality workers are low-paid as are a third of workers in the retail, administrative, arts & entertainment and personal services sectors.
"Low Pay Republic: Combatting Low Pay in the Irish Labour Market" is a conversation between Ethel Buckley, Deputy General Secretary for Organising and Membership Development with Professor Mary Murphy, Professor Seán Ó Riain and Michael Taft on low pay and the suite of labour market and enterprise-level policies which are required to tackle Ireland’s low pay epidemic.
Mary Murphy is senior lecturer in Irish Politics and Society in the Maynooth University Department of Sociology. She is a member of the Council of State. Her research interests include public policy, labour markets and social security, power and civil society and gender.
Seán Ó Riain is Professor of Sociology at the National University of Ireland Maynooth. His research interests are in the sociology of work and employment, comparative political economy, inequality and social change and the global information economy.
Michael Taft is a Researcher in SIPTU. He represents the Irish Congress of Trade Unions on the Low Pay Commission.
“Low Pay Republic: Combatting Low Pay in the Irish Labour Market” is part of the Workplace Democracy Campaign.
The campaign promotes the many social, equality, economic and political benefits of trade unionism. It is one of a series of Workplace Democracy Workshops.
