LIMERICK City and County Council has been asked to support legislation that would result in graduates being paid more than those who have joined the workforce without a degree.
At this week’s meeting of the local authority, Cllr Kevin Sheahan (FF) said the council should call on the government to draft legislation making it law that graduates must be paid a “livable wage” and make it an offence for employers to obstruct graduates from being in pensionable, unionised jobs.
“I’m listening to graduates applying for jobs in our city, who find the jobs are being offered at minimum wage. These are graduates who have spent four years studying and they should be entitled to a proper wage.
“Well educated young people are leaving this country and I believe the government should legislate to ensure that an employee with a degree would be recognised for something. Currently, it is recognised for nothing and there is no justice in that.
“We hear that we have full employment but take people on the minimum wage out of that and you have a more honest picture. As long as we’re throwing pennies at graduates, we are a long way from full employment. People are being left with no option but to emigrate,” he declared.
Cllr John Sheahan (FG) said, “We should be striving for all people out there to be on a livable wage. It wouldn’t be a big ask to make the minimum wage a livable wage.
“We should also look at what councillors are being paid, There are people who are desisting from running for local government because of that. We could end up in a position where people will only go into politics if they are wealthy enough to afford it”.
Cmhlr Séighin O’Ceallaigh (SF) said “I support this but believe the minimum wage should be the living wage because the living wage is what you need to support yourself. Everyone should be able to afford to pay the bills”.
Cllr Vivienne Crowley (FF) said “It’s my view that the wage should be commensurate with experience. Their degree should be recognised and that should be legislated for.”
However, Cllr John Gilligan (Ind) said that employers were not going to pay graduates more and Cllr Sheahan’s proposal would mean that they could be denied jobs.
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