Leo Varadkar’s pension plan for ‘second class sector’

“Second-class” private sector workers are set to see major improvements in their job protection and pension benefits in a bid to bridge the gap with public sector employees, as part of a radical plan from Social Protection Minister Leo Varadkar.

A universal pension fund to help private sector workers is to be established to address the fact two-thirds of private sector workers have made no provision for their retirement.

In a major pitch to the so-called ‘squeezed middle’, Mr Varadkar is examining ways young couples can share greater amounts of parental leave to help address work-life balance issues.