Minimum wage is not enough to survive on

THE Small Firms Association, the Government and IBEC are all the same. They demand that the worker be competitive (ie, work for nothing) while remaining silent about their own fine salaries which are immune to threat.

Employers could trade more competitively if they banded together to force a reduction in fuel costs, etc, and the Government could do the same, but it won’t — it is just so easy to pass on the cost to the consumer.

If Ireland is now too expensive to trade with, then this is due to Government mishandling of trade policy during the Celtic Tiger years.

The minimum wage cannot be reduced. It is simply not enough to survive on, even without cost of living increases.

IBEC, the SFA and the Government are now driving people towards a state of revolution.

I propose the following reforms for minimum wage workers:

1. The minimum rate should be raised to €10 an hour if the person has worked at the lower rate for two years.

2. If this can’t be done, then minimum wage workers should be issued with cards virtually exempting them from VAT on their baic needs.

3. Minimum wage workers should pay no more than €400 a month on rent. The Government can pay the landlord the balance (within reason) out of cutbacks from their own salaries.

4. Minimum wage workers should pay little or no tax.

5. Savings schemes should be set up for those workers who are expected to live happily from day to day enriching everyone else out of their depressed wages.

6. The Government must provide permanent housing for minimum wage workers who will never own their own home.

7. Freeze all interest payments on any debts the minimum wage worker may have — they most likely got into debt because they are so badly paid.

Much of what I propose would also apply to those on social welfare.

Dr Florence Craven

Maynooth

Co Kildare