The Celtic Tiger

I was having a little clear out today and I stumbled across something which really made me think. You see, I was bored this evening and avoiding doing something more meaningful so I decided to have a little root through some old letters etc. which have been lying around the place for years.

I found an envelope with my name on it and "private and confidential" written across the top of it. The envelope was bulging. I first thought that I had put a couple of grand into an envelope and forgotten about it. But then I realised I never had a couple of grand to forget about. So I opened it up and pulled out the contents. What was in it? All my payslips from my very first job.

I looked at the date on top of the first pay slip. 14th October 2000. So it was nearly nine years ago when I started my first job. I was a bit of a nerd back then and kept things like pay slips and bank statements etc. Don't ask me why. I still keep stuff like that today but to a lesser extent.

Anyway, I looked at the final pay on the pay slip. I was shocked at how little it was. Then I looked at the hours worked. I was even more shocked at the large number of hours I had worked to receive such a paltry wage. So out came the calculator on my phone and I worked out that back then, in October 2000, I was working for IR£4.44 (€5.64) per hour. And if I remember correctly that company paid a little bit above the minimum wage!

I worked with that company for seven years and I loved every minute of it. When leaving in the summer of 2007, I was earning €12.50 per hour. In the space of seven years my wages had increased by €6.86 per hour. That's such a huge increase. It really shocked me. I didn't notice it increase while working. I suppose the hourly rate just crept up and up in line with the national wage agreements.

I do wonder if the minimum wage was to decrease would it be better for companies who are trying to struggle? We all survived on a lot less wages in 2000. So why not survive on it now? Of course, the cost of living would also have to decrease in order for folk to live as they want to. Dare I say it? Are we, as a nation, getting over paid? Is it not just the fat cat bank officials et al who are earning above and beyond? Controversial I know.