Minimum labour standards in a social partnership system - the persistence of the Irish variant of wages councils

This article examines the Irish variant of the Wages Councils, Joint Labour Committees (JLC), which set legally binding minimum pay and conditions for low-paid workers in some sectors. We trace the reasons for the continued existence of the JLC system even after the introduction of a National Minimum Wage in 2000. We also examine its contemporary relevance and the prospects for its retention in the future, particularly in light of growing employer opposition to them.