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.