Dublin Living Wage Initiative launched
The Lord Mayor of Dublin, Brendan Carr, has launched the Dublin City Council Living Wage Initiative at the Mansion House, Dawson Street, Dublin. The initiative recognises businesses which pay a Living Wage of €11.50 per hour, to their permanent employees, by granting them permission to display a Dublin Living Wage Plaque at the entrance to their premises.
The Lord Mayor of Dublin Brendan Carr said: “The growing crisis of low pay for workers in Dublin must be faced up to. In this city there are residents in full time employment whose overall earnings are so insufficient that their families have to avail of emergency accommodation. This is a situation which is putting a severe strain on families, the State and local authority services.
“The Dublin Living Wage Plaque initiative seeks to highlight those employers who are paying their staff a Living Wage of €11.50 per hour. Displaying such a plaque on a business premises will provide customers with the ability to make an informed choice concerning where they spend their money.
“This initiative is aimed at rewarding good employers and also kicking off a much needed debate on whether we as a city can continue to subsidise employers who fail to pay workers a wage which is sufficient for them to live on without having to draw upon other supports.”
He added: “I have made clear for sometime my commitment to this initiative and have been dismayed by the response of some business representative organisations. An employee receiving a Living Wage is something that should be welcomed by the business community as it provides people with a minimum socially acceptable standard of living, which allows them to play an active role within the local economy.
“Dublin, as a community and an economy, can no longer afford to have a growing proportion of its workforce forced to subside on a wage which does not allow them to fully participate. From tomorrow businesses across the city will have the opportunity to apply to the City Council to become part of the initiative and display a plaque which indicates that they are doing their bit to ensure our city thrives.”
A committee to be appointed by Dublin City Council will consider applications by businesses for inclusion in the Dublin Living Wage Initiative. Local authorities in several cities across the globe implement policies to promote the payment of the local Living Wage. Cities with such policies include Belfast, London and Dublin’s Sister City of San Jose in California.
