Restoration of Minimum Wage Worth €40 a Week to Low Income Workers - Spring
Issued : Wednesday 8 June, 2011
Statement by Arthur Spring TD
Kerry North/West Limerick Deputy Arthur Spring has welcomed the reversal of the previous government’s slashing of the minimum wage as an important step to helping low income workers.
"Minister Joan Burton and her colleagues must be congratulated for the legislative measure in the Social Welfare Bill which will reverse the unfair cut of minimum wage in the last Dáil.
"For people to stay in work there must be an incentive to do so in the form of adequate pay. Low paid workers are most at risk of becoming unemployed and falling into poverty. The restoration of the minimum wage from €7.65 to €8.65 an hour will result in low paid workers regaining €40 a week pay, income which had been taken away by the last Government. This makes employment more attractive to people claiming jobseekers allowance and provides a greater incentive to find work.
"It is also worth noting that not one single extra job was created by the reduction of the €1 per hour and Irish competitiveness was not enhanced.
Deputy Spring concluded, “I am very pleased that the Labour Party in government has promptly delivered on a key General Election commitment.”
