Unite calls for €11.50 per hour 'living wage', as think-tank recommends €9.25
A representative from the Unite trade union has called for the minimum wage to be raised to €11.50 per hour.
Jimmy Kelly's calls come as official state think-tank the Low Pay Commission recommended raising the minimum wage by another 10c, to €9.25.
Jobs minister Mary Mitchell O'Connor said the proposal for a €9.25 rate would be considered as part of the Budget in October.
However, Unite's Jimmy Kelly said that €9.25 was not sufficient for people to live on.
He said: "There's nobody going to be a millionaire out of €11.50 an hour, but it brings you into the 'living wage' bracket, that you could somehow meet your weekly budget on food, mortgage, childcare, all your costs that have to be ticked off in an average family.
"Moving us from the current minimum wage to that living wage of €11.50 is absolutely essential."
