Teachers who began teaching after February 2012 would earn approx. €220,000 less over a 40 year career than a teacher who commenced before 2011.

This was pointed out by Independent MEP Marian Harkin in a speech in the European Parliament when she spoke of a constituent who had contacted her in regard to this unfair pay discrimination.    She emphasized that President Juncker and Commissioner for Employment & Social Affairs Marianne Thyssen had stated that there should be equal pay for equal work in the same place.

She continued:- “Indeed most EU citizens would assume that equal pay for equal work is guaranteed at EU level. Yet in Ireland, we now have a discriminatory two tier pay scale for nurses, teachers and Gardai. They get paid different salaries at the same point on the salary scale. Young teachers, nurses and Gardai are on a much lower scale. One teacher emailed me and said that those who began teaching after February 2012 will earn over €220,000 less over a forty year career than a teacher who began before 2011.

“I wrote to the Commission but they said that no EU law applies to pay scale difference. Nevertheless, the outcome of these pay scale differences in Ireland is in effect that we do not have equal pay for equal work over a career.  I have again written to the Commission asking them to have another look at this discriminatory practice.

“How can we say to that teacher who earns €220,000 less over a forty year career than a teacher who started 3 years earlier - how can we say that equal pay for equal work is guaranteed under  EU law. We can't and we need to look at this”, Independent MEP Marian Harkin concluded.