Age-Based Pay Discrimination | Cork News

Cork News Today | 2 Min News | The Daily News Now! · Aug 18, 2026 · 1m

It’s jaw-dropping how age slashes pay—even for identical work: 20+ get full minimum wage (€14.15/hr), 19-year-olds get 90%, 18s get 80%, and teens under 18 get just 70%. That means a 17-year-old could earn nearly €4 less per hour than someone three years older. This isn’t just unfair—it’s discriminatory, treating people worse because of their birth date. Trade unions are sounding the alarm, especially since young workers from disadvantaged backgrounds often rely on this income to survive while juggling school and rent. Experience? Irrelevant. Age? The only factor. It’s time we fix this broken…