Threat to protection for low-paid workers

A new analysis of statistics by Eurostat finds that 17% of full-time workers are low-paid – that means they are paid less than two-thirds of national median earnings. The data comes from the 2006 structure of earnings survey that excludes public administration. However, the statistics do cover the energy sector, which has the lowest proportion of low-paid workers, and the health sector where nearly 15% of full-time employers are low-paid. The report also reveals that 23.1% of women workers were low-paid compared to only 13.5% of men. [Read more at > Eurostat (EN)->http://epp.eurostat.ec.europa

The UNISON public services union has revealed that thousands of non-teaching staff in colleges of further education have missed out on higher pay increases as local colleges have failed to implement a minimum £500-a-year (€630) increase recommended last year by the national college employers' association. The employers said that all workers earning less than £16,791 (€21,200) should be entitled to the increase but according to UNISON 64% of colleges have failed to implement the increase. This leaves many college library and laboratory assistants, catering workers and cleaners on a minimum

The Irish Nurses and Midwives Organisation (INMO) and the Psychiatric Nurses Association (PNA) are lobbying and campaigning against a recent government initiative to recruit 1000 graduate nurses. The unions argue that the jobs being offered effectively replace agency and temporary staff but on lower rates of pay. The new rate (€22000 a year) is 80% of the reduced salary scale introduced in February 2012 but 39% lower than the effective starting rate that applied in 2009 before the public sector pay cuts. [Read more at > INMO->http://www.inmo.ie/7676] [And at > INMO->http://www.inmo.ie/Home