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Cóir Date: 02.02.2010 Just months after the passage of the Lisbon Treaty the Irish minimum wage is under attack, with downward pressure on all wages coming from the employer’s groups and politicians who campaigned for a Yes vote to the treaty.
An Tánaiste Mary Coughlan was accused of hedging her bets on the matter when she said she was awaiting a Labour Court report on the issue before the Government would make a decision on whether to cut the minimum wage. The employers’ federation IBEC has called for the minimum wage to come down and the Government is increasingly insisting that in order to increase competitiveness labour costs need to take a hit.
But Cóir spokesman Richard Greene said that “The Ministers enjoying lavish expenses and huge salaries would do well to remember that the minimum wage is a paltry €8.65 an hour. When the cost of living is taken into account in Ireland, that’s a dreadfully low wage – and cuts will hit the poorest families who are already struggling.”
Cóir warned of downward pressure on wages during the Lisbon referendum campaign. “The EU courts have already ruled that the minimum wage of other EU member states can be applied to foreign workers here,” said Mr Greene. “We’re now seeing politicians and big business increasing the pressure to accept low wages. The political and economic elite are looking after themselves while ordinary people are struggling.”
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