Jobless ‘want to protect welfare’

People are unwilling to take up any more than 18 hours of paid employment because they want to protect their social welfare benefits, according to the president of the Cork Chamber of Commerce, John Mullins.

Mr Mullins, who is leaving as head of Bord Gáis at the end of the year, told the chamber’s business breakfast yesterday that across Cork, people were refusing to work for any more than 18 hours.

“As employers we need to be worried. And I know, [from] speaking to a lot of SMEs, particularly those in the hospitality trade, that trying to get people to take on full-time employment, you find that people come in and they want to work 18 hours. Why? Because they want to hold on to welfare benefits,” he claimed.