Union repeats call on company to attend WRC

Experienced archaeologists paid just €12.50 per hour to defend our heritage

Trade union Unite, which is currently engaged in a dispute with the Irish Archaeological Consultancy over the company’s refusal to engage with the union on a pay claim, said today that the company had admitted to a history of paying poverty wages.  The union was commenting on IAC’s claim that it had increased wages by 65% over the past four years – effectively stating that in 2014 it was paying archaeologists below the Minimum Wage.

Commenting, Unite Regional Coordinating Officer Richie Browne said:

“Since this dispute started, IAC has been issuing statements to the effect that they have increased wages by 65% over the past four years.  Given that our members’ contracts stipulate an hourly wage of €12.50 – just slightly above the 2018 Living Wage rate – this means that the company is claiming to have paid archaeologists around €7.60 at the start of that period.  This would have been below the National Minimum Wage of €8.65 applicable at the time, and would have meant that IAC was breaking the law and subject to a referral to the National Employment Rights Agency or its successor, the WRC.

“In fact, our records show that members were paid the €9.50 per hour – which means that, according to IAC’s own statement, had they increased wages by 65%, they should now be paying approximately €15.67 per hour.  Yet experienced archaeologists are only being paid €12.50 per hour to defend our heritage – and to help swell IAC’s healthy revenue.

“While IAC is clearly confused about its own pay rates, one thing is clear:  by the company’s own admission, they have a history of paying poverty wages.

“Our members will continue to ‘Dig4Decency’ until the company engages with Unite on our pay claim”, Richie Browne concluded.