Search Results for 'Minimum wage'

The new national minimum wage rate will come into effect on February 1 following the signing of the order on Wednesday by the Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Innovation, Batt O’Keeffe.

Labour General Election candidate for Mayo Dr Jerry Cowley has said that the Government decision to reduce the minimum wage could have serious implications for small and medium businesses all over the country.

The news that the government is going to cut the minimum wage by €1 an hour provoked anger this week from Sinn Féin Castlebar town councillor Thérèse Ruane and Labour Party general election candidate Gerry Cowley.

Any cut to the minimum wage would create severe hardship for low paid workers and must be resisted, according to Castlebar Sinn Fein councillor Therese Ruane. She said such a move would force more families to rely on supplementary welfare assistance from the State and would have knock on impacts on across the local economy. Cllr Ruane sought support in the matter from her colleagues on Castlebar Town Council at this week’s meeting.

Is the Government really saying it is fair that people earning less than the minimum wage be asked to pay an income levy at the same rate as someone earning €50,000 per year?

The system that determines the pay and conditions for about 170,000 workers in the country is out of date, totally inappropriate for the current economic circumstances and in need of a radical overhaul, according to IBEC.

Many strands of Irish businesses wasted little time this week in hitting out at the new national wage agreement struck early on Wednesday morning, saying that the propsoed wage increases could represent the final nail in the coffin for many small to medium businesses.