Race to the bottom will drag us all down

IT must be wonderful for the ‘captains’ of industry and employers generally in Ireland to have ready access to all that cheap labour and ‘outsourcing.’ They can replace Irish workers with immigrants on the minimum wage (or less for part-timers).

I can see now why business was so keen for a Yes vote in the Nice referendum.

Will the saving be passed on to the customer? No chance. Employers don’t care too much about service levels to the customer; it’s all about profits and shareholders. Government is prepared to sit back and let it happen. Apart from the business community, who wins?

Yes, we’ll have full employment, but at what rates of pay and conditions? We will all end up on low pay and crazy hours to make a decent weekly wage.

God help our children in the future when low pay will be the norm. Social implications? Who cares? Profit and greed are the drivers. Ferry workers’ jobs today - your job tomorrow.

Philip Green

16 Parnell Cottages

Malahide

Co Dublin