By Shane Finnan
Rents soar, the cost of living continues upwards, all the while wages remain, for the most part, restrained. Working-class people, especially the young, feel the pinch every week. Irish capitalism has failed to deliver for the working-class and young.
Thousands of people are forced to stay at home in a state of delayed adolescence. Many are forced out of Dublin; since 2017 there’s records of nearly 1000 civil servants working in Dublin who have sought transfers outside of Dublin.
Cost of living
If you’re under 35, the likelihood of you being able to access a mortgage is next to none. Dublin is more expensive to live in than both Silicon Valley and Abu Dhabi. This is why workers need a minimum of €15 an hour now with no exemptions for young workers.
The richest 300 people in Irish society have €80 billion in wealth between them, and their profits continue to go up at the expense of workers and public services. All the while, 1 in 6 people in Ireland are in poverty.
Inequality
This grotesque wealth inequality needs to be challenged, and the trade union movement needs to mobilise its membership to struggle for a living and a dignified wage. Without workers, there would be no super-profits for bosses. Workers deserve a living wage!
