Dublin businesses urged to show proof they pay a ‘living wage’

Businesses which pay employees a “living wage” of €11.50 an hour are being encouraged to display a plaque at their entrance under a initiative backed by Dublin City Council.

Shops across the city can apply to the local authority in order to get permission to display a “Dublin Living Wage” plaque.

Explaining the project on Thursday, Dublin Lord Mayor Brendan Carr said: “What we’re trying to do here is let the public decide at the end of the day, are they going to spend their money in a premises which is paying a wage where the employees can actually, not only live but also contribute back to society?

“Or do we want a scenario which I confronted up in Lynam’s Hotel, the emergency accommodation, where both parents in one family were both working for the minimum wage and yet the city council had to put them into emergency accommodation, not even social housing?”

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The Lord Mayor said the public should begin seeing plaques outside businesses within a number of weeks while a website is also due to be set up. A committee to be appointed by Dublin City Council will consider businesses for inclusion in the initiative.

“There’s criteria being set up to prove that the rates of pay will be shown for employees, clearly there’s a lot of data protection issues which have to be looked at,” he said.

“Once they [BUSINESSES]can prove they’re paying the €11.50 an hour, then the committee will decide to give the plaque.”

The living wage is set at about a third above the minimum wage, and is calculated by a group of agencies including trade union Siptu based on the cost of living.

Mr Carr, who is due to vacate his role as Lord Mayor next week said there had been a lot of businesses inquiring about the initiative already.