Child Benefit is not related to whether a child is working or not. It is age and status related (i.e. if they are a full time student between 18 and 19).
This indicates that the Irish are not willing to work at minimum wage to the same extent as non-Irish workers, not that the jobs aren't there!
Hi Welfarite,
It is nothing to do with the Irish not willing to work at the minumum wage! My daughter and other student would work for less! they just want money to pay for Oxygen, sustain themselves through college, buy clothes etc.
A core issue concerns accepting terms and conditions that Irish workers would not accept e.g. very short or no lunch breaks, no extra hourly rate for work done during anti-social hours etc. I did work myself as a student, everything from packing supermarket bags to bar work, security work and van deliveries in the days
before the minumum wage... these jobs are not available anymore to students.
People are afraid to raise their heads above the parapet and voice these concerns, because, they are afraid of being mistakenly deemed racist. My perception is that it is immigrant labour that is being abused and taken advantage of by employers. Theses workers may undercut Irish workers and cede basic rights that have been long fought for in their desire to get work, but, they too will lose out in the long term. This is not happening in the public service or semi-state bodies, but, is happening in private workplaces.
To prove my non-racist political credentials ... in the course of my IT service industry management job I am recruiting staff (above the minimum wage, 37 hour week basic pay, hols, VHI etc).. the best person is employed... have currently a mix of Irish, Asian, Easter European, Western European... including college students for job experience (not permitted to employ my own daughter!). If we go down the cheap labour road, similar to what the hotel trade and bar trade have done, sacrificing skill quality for cost control, owners may reap initial profits, but, their product or service will deteriorate, customers will flee and skilled members of the workforce will migrate and add value to other economies.
I used to hear these complaints from other parents last year... it's only this year I have an 18 year old looking for summer work! Today, I've arranged for her to work in Vancouver (Canadaian companies love hard working Irish students) from next May... assuming she gets into college in Oct.