1. The document examines the impact of Ireland's economic crisis on wage setting mechanisms for vulnerable workers, particularly the Joint Labour Committee (JLC) system. 2. It analyzes survey data to look at earnings, hours worked, overtime pay, and shift allowances for low-paid private sector workers, finding that over half of low-paid workers earn wages within the JLC range. 3. Workers covered by JLC rates tend to work fewer total and overtime hours and are less likely to receive shift allowances or overtime pay compared to higher-paid workers.

1. Economic crisis and the restructuring of wage setting mechanisms for vulnerable workers in Ireland Thomas Turner and Michelle O’Sullivan TASC 29 th September 2011 [email_address]

6. Low pay earnings 25% 323,912 100% 9.5% 123,154 38% € 9.69 – €10.86 13% 168,092 52% JLC: €8.23-€9.68 2.5% 32,666 10% Less than €8.23 % of low pay private sector N Low pay in Private sector

8. Hours, over-time and shift allowances above and below JLC hourly earnings

9. Selected characteristics of workers covered by JLC rates by mean hours, over-time and shift allowances (N=168092: means reported for all measures)

10. Distribution of overtime hours, earnings and shift allowance

11. Shift work and shift allowances