The Irish Congress of Trade Unions, the ICTU Youth Committee, and the Dublin Council of Trade Unions are today calling on the Government to tackle Ireland's deepening cost of living crisis, as workers take to the streets of Dublin to mark May Day.
The theme of this year’s march is ‘Can You Afford to Live?’, with a focus on how the affordability and housing crises are affecting young people.
Research from the Nevin Economic Research Institute has found that sustained rising housing costs in Ireland over the past 10 to 15 years has translated to lower living standards for workers reliant on wages.
Wage inadequacy in relation to housing access has increased every year for over a decade with most workers, especially those in the early stages of their career priced out entirely. The NERI research shows that:
- By the end of 2024, rents had increased by 157.6% since 2012, over three times wage growth in the same period.
- During the same period, house prices increased by 110%, over twice the increase in wages.
- In 2024, 42% of Irish 25-34 year olds are financially dependent on and/or living with their parents, double the share in 2012, the largest increase in Europe over the period.
Owen Reidy, General Secretary, Irish Congress of Trade Unions said:
“Workers built and run this country, but workers are being priced out of it. Rents topping €2,000 a month, wages that don’t stretch to the end of the week, and a generation of young people who have done everything right and still cannot afford to stay.
“May Day is a celebration of what workers can achieve when they stand together, but it is also a warning to any Government that thinks workers will quietly absorb the cost of a crisis they did not cause”.
Hollie Gregg, ICTU Youth Committee said:
“This generation has been sold a lie. We were told that if you work hard, you can build a life on this island. But working hard isn’t enough anymore. Working hard doesn’t get you a home now. Working hard doesn’t give you a stable life like it once could. Working hard barely gets you through the month at this point. We are living pay check to pay check, wondering if the day will ever come when our wages increase beyond the rising cost of everyday life. Young workers are at the centre of it, and we will be at the centre of demanding change.”
Alison Regan, President of Dublin Council of Trades Councils said:
‘The government responded to the ‘tractors and truckers’ lockdown with subsidies of around €750 million, three quarters of a billion. This follows concessions of up to €680 million in a full year to the food and catering industries. This was also after ignoring demands for cost of living measures for disability, renters and the most disadvantaged. Reliefs for ordinary workers and the old continue to be overlooked after the concessions to the blockaders.
“It is now time for organised labour to stir itself. The unions have called for pay rises to compensate for the rises in the cost of living. For the burdens of the bulk of society to be addressed now. The Dublin Council of Trade Unions is ready to support trade unions and workers who take their turn to exert pressure to defend their living standards.”
