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Poll: Have you ever worked in retail?

New research has found that the majority of Irish retail workers are earning less than a living wage.

NEW RESEARCH HAS found that the majority of Irish retail workers are earning less than a living wage. 

According to the Mandate Trade Union, that nearly two-thirds of Irish retail staff are earning less than €451 per week, falling short of the living wage standard of just over €500.

While hourly wages are increasing, the majority of workers weren’t working enough hours to earn above the living wage, with the trade union saying many are not given the opportunity to work sufficient hours. 

Many people have experienced working in the industry, whether as a full-time career or on a temporary basis.

Today, we’re asking you: Have you ever had a job in the retail sector?


Poll Results:

Yes, but not anymore (6238)
No, never (2875)
Yes, my current job is in retail (953)

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31 Comments
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    Mute Eileen O'Sullivan
    Favourite Eileen O'Sullivan
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    Mar 10th 2020, 1:02 PM

    The horse bolted last weekend when FG gave thousands of northern Italians a big Cead mile Failte.
    41.7bn to bail out casino banks and all the pain that entailed. 2bn of which 480ml is dedicated to saving lives.

    96
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    Mute Monty Donotno
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    Mar 10th 2020, 1:11 PM

    @Eileen O’Sullivan: we’ve the Cheltenham hangover to look forward to as well. Only defence of our government would be our European neighbors weren’t acting urgently either. Would have taken visionary leadership to swallow the economic impact early on. And there is an inevitability the virus sneaks into every country at some stage and spreads for a while unnoticed. So spreading the economic impact over a larger period is possibly another legitimate approach.

    36
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    Mute Paul Furey
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    Mar 10th 2020, 1:14 PM

    @Eileen O’Sullivan: Do you know how many tickets were bought by Italians, how many people were from northern Italy (near the affected areas) and how many of those actually travelled? I can’t find anything on Google.

    24
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    Mute Dave O'Keeffe
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    Mar 10th 2020, 1:16 PM

    @Eileen O’Sullivan: that banking crisis had a fatality rate that nobody likes to talk about but you keep taking your cheap shots. Also, if you hadn’t noticed, it’s not up to FG to cancel flights, it’s up to the airlines and thankfully they have now.

    33
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    Mute ☘
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    Mar 10th 2020, 1:22 PM

    @Dave O’Keeffe: a bit late now the italian invasion was last week

    16
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    Mute Sk19
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    Mar 10th 2020, 1:33 PM

    @Dave O’Keeffe: it’s up to FG. Under our constitution they are still the government in power , we are supposed to be a sovereign country and as the government they control our borders .

    14
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    Mute Dave O'Keeffe
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    Mar 10th 2020, 1:42 PM

    @☘: tell it to Ryanair and Aer Lingus. They y é just shown that it was up to them all along.

    9
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    Mute Eileen O'Sullivan
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    Mar 10th 2020, 2:02 PM

    @Paul Furey: The Po valley is the home and the main fan base of Rugby in Italy. Also the most populous region. Estimates for last weekend were between 3000 and 7000. FG are currently pumping out shock headlines to deflect from their culpability.

    14
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    Mute Connoroconner
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    Mar 10th 2020, 2:39 PM

    @Eileen O’Sullivan: the IRFU said they sold 2500 tickets

    9
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    Mute Sorcha Ní Shúilleabháin
    Favourite Sorcha Ní Shúilleabháin
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    Mar 10th 2020, 2:47 PM

    @Eileen O’Sullivan: Two false starts but no horse bolted yet.

    3
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    Mute thenewguy
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    Mar 10th 2020, 2:06 PM

    Close the schools

    43
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    Mute Dannys Dentures
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    Mar 10th 2020, 4:11 PM

    @thenewguy: this sort of nonsense is going to draw into recession, less than 30 cases in a country of almost 5 million
    Get a grip

    21
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    Mute pkunzip doom2.zip
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    Mar 10th 2020, 6:16 PM

    @Dannys Dentures: Not 30 of 5million, it’s 30 out of the number tested people which I suspect is extremely low considering they were boasting a figure or 200tested in a week last week

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    Mute Cormac Bracken
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    Mar 10th 2020, 6:40 PM

    Acting early avoids the health system being overwhlemed:

    https://flowingdata.com/2020/03/09/flatten-the-coronavirus-curve/

    Close the schools.

    6
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    Mute Seán Dillon
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    Mar 10th 2020, 1:36 PM

    Are GAA matches which draw larger crowds been reviewed or cancelled.

    25
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    Mute Olivia Smith
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    Mar 10th 2020, 3:04 PM

    @Seán Dillon: I live right beside croke Park and am not looking forward to the 15&17th of March. The stadium will be full and the amount of people gathering around on the streets will be hugh. Have sent an email to the lady in Croke Park who looks after everything in the community but she hasn’t answered. Doubt she will because the GAA don’t like to loose money. It’s not fair on the elderly who live in the area to potential put them at risk.

    16
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    Mute Pseud O'Nym
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    Mar 10th 2020, 3:55 PM

    @Olivia Smith: as long as Croke Park area residents aren’t standing outside their houses looking for people to cough on them it shouldn’t really cause them any extra problem as long as they’re taking the recommended precautions.

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    Mute Olivia Smith
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    Mar 10th 2020, 4:04 PM

    @Pseud O’Nym: We don’t lock ourselves in doors you know? People need to go out for different things. It’s a mass gathering and should be treated the same as the rugby and parade. Don’t worry I’m sure your ticket will be ok to use later in the year when they have to reschedule it. Also the people who work in bars and shops around are at risk. So silly comment in my opinion.

    11
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    Mute GO GREEN
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    Mar 10th 2020, 2:11 PM

    Its not inevitable that we become another Italy, with hundred or more, dying every day, if we learn from China and act now and put the country in lock down. If we wait any longer, it will be too late so why wait to put the country will go in lock down, only when the virus is at its peak.

    39
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    Mute Daniel Kelly
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    Mar 10th 2020, 2:17 PM

    @GO GREEN: HSE wanted confirmed cases before they believed it was a problem need I say more?

    17
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    Mute GO GREEN
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    Mar 10th 2020, 2:35 PM

    @GO GREEN: Yes its crazy, we know what should be done but they will not do it until it is too late just like in Italy.

    12
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    Mute Keith Fay
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    Mar 10th 2020, 2:21 PM

    From a friend of mine in Italy! -
    The world should learn from us in Italy.
    Most of the people said it’s a flu, we gotta keep living normally, blah blah blah, and now?
    We’re completely in lockdown, 9k+ infected and lots of people dying every day.
    ICU collapsing, not enough machineries, no beds, doctors getting infected.
    If only people took it seriously right away, instead of saying bullshit, going out with friends at bars, going against the law and authorities and underestimating the problem, we wouldn’t be in such a dangerous situation, with riots even in prisons and doctors forced to save ONLY the patients without other underlying issues and healthier, with more life expectancy.

    41
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    Mute Tommy C
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    Mar 10th 2020, 1:27 PM

    Did the government allow Cheltenham to take place because they also wanted some big ships with sick people on board?

    13
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    Mute Paul O'Sullivan
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    Mar 10th 2020, 1:49 PM

    @Tommy C: it is not up to the Government to cancel Cheltenham.That would be up to the UK Horse Racing Authority,

    I get your point, I think it should be cancelled. I think both UK and Irish goverment are not doing enough to contain this. I was watching Siimon Coveney on Claure Byrne show last night he seemed hell bent on the ‘delay phase’ which is a protracted spread of the virus over a long period such as 18 months rather than an explosion of the virus like italy… UK seem to be on the same scenario, which means, the chances are we will all get it at some stage… it’s the cheaper option they are taking..

    20
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    Mute Connoroconner
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    Mar 10th 2020, 2:45 PM

    @Paul O’Sullivan: they are taking that option because it is the only one that makes any sense at this point. An explosion like in Italy would totally overwhelm ours, or any, health service. Better to have 10,000 a month for ten months rather than 100,000 at the same time. Is that not obvious? Italy is struggling, they’re having to decide who gets the intensive care beds, the old person who probably wont survive or the younger person who might have a better chance. Doctors there are now making those decisions every day.

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    Mute Paul O'Sullivan
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    Mar 10th 2020, 3:33 PM

    @Connoroconner: I agree, people need to realise this is going to be a long haul, sooner a vaccine is available the better…. everyone needs to wise up to this policy of ‘delay phase’ as well as containment.

    1
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    Mute Peter Govan
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    Mar 10th 2020, 3:42 PM

    Its scandalous just shut the country down.

    12
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    Mute Arya
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    Mar 10th 2020, 1:26 PM

    Looking online for a cheap ticket to Wuhuan. Yes, I have a particular type of wish.:-)

    4
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    Mute Paul O'Sullivan
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    Mar 10th 2020, 4:38 PM

    @Arya: I’d rather swim with Great Whire Sharks,

    3
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    Mute Jason Ebbs
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    Mar 10th 2020, 2:23 PM

    Out of the first 12 articles here on the journal, 10 are about the coronavirus.

    3
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    Mute Justice Mickey
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    Mar 10th 2020, 3:50 PM

    @Jason Ebbs:
    Coronavirus is in one way or another going to affect everyone in the country with a potential to cause a lot of deaths.
    It’s an unknown at the moment so I can assure you that I want to be kept up to date on it.

    11
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    Mute John Mc Donagh
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    Mar 10th 2020, 4:39 PM

    I never before witnessed such a “dooms-day mentality” If youse are all going to die before me please don’t forget me in your will. Thank youse.

    5
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    Mute Pavel Shipilov
    Favourite Pavel Shipilov
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    Mar 10th 2020, 11:45 PM

    They have to implement FULL lockdown as it is not too late yet, we have just few days to do it, ppl are too relaxed, the virus is not fully studied yet and apparently can have no symptoms whatsoever.

    1
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    Mute Thomas Harrington
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    Mar 10th 2020, 9:24 PM

    So will Aer Lingus refund me the flights they just cancelled on me?

    1
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