Ireland has a high minimum wage of €8.65. Can this be changed the EU? With or without the Lisbon Treaty, the answer is no. We’ve heard a lot of talk about the Laval judgement, where a Latvian firm working in Sweden successfully paid the Latvian wage rate. This was only possible because Sweden has no legal minimum wage. The EU respects the various traditions in each country in matters of workers’ rights so that the minimum wage can only be decided by Irish law.
Also, the Lisbon Treaty will bring the Charter of Fundamental Rights into EU law, bringing protection for workers in 11 separate areas, which has been welcomed by trade unions. This was further guaranteed with the Solemn Declaration on Workers’ Rights and Social Policy which the EU governments agreed in June.
Minimum wage in Ireland after Lisbon: €8.65
