IBEC: Minimum wage rise will cripple small firms

The Irish Business and Employers group, IBEC, claims a proposed minimum wage increase will cripple companies.

It is expected the Low Pay Commission will recommend the minimum wage be increased by 50 cent an hour to €9.15.

IBEC says the move would put pressure on businesses that are already struggling.

Spokesperson Maeve McElwee says it is a high price for small enterprises.

She said: "With those rates increasing and the wage pressure increasing within the economy all the time, our rates of pay are starting to become uncompetitive.

"That's something that throughout the boom did become an issue for us.

"So as we head for a recovery and aim to maintain a stable recovery, that type of wage escalation is not something that we would like to see at the moment."