The Workers’ Party have described the recommendation of a 50 cent per hour increase in the statutory Minimum Wage by the Low Pay Commission as a gross insult to the many thousands of low paid workers in the state.
The party’s Dublin councillor Éilis Ryan said that the Low Pay Commission had lived up to its name by proposing the lowest
increase imaginable. The 50 cent rise in the minimum rate would make little difference to many workers, especially young people who work on zero hour or precarious contracts.
“It was always inevitable”, said Cllr. Ryan, “that the commission was going to err on the lower side of increase because its terms of reference were moderated by the government’s low-paid employment and so-called labour activation strategy”.
The North Inner City councillor said the guideline of the Living Wage of €11.50 per hour should have been seen by the commission as the lowest possible Minimum Wage baseline.
“In reality this will make no difference to thousands of low-paid workers who are paid marginally above the existing Minimum Wage. Without greatly increased enforcement it will make no difference to the many workers who are actually paid below the statutory level. It is a slap in the face to low paid workers who had hoped that this commission might put a spark of decency into their take home pay”, said Cllr. Ryan