FF must cancel last day in office cut in national minimum wage

FF must cancel last day in office cut in national minimum wage The Labour Party General election Candidate in Cork East  Cllr John Mulvihill  has called on the government not to proceed with its plan to cut the National Minimum Wage from Tuesday next.

Cllr Mulvihill stated “Over recent days newspapers have been carrying advertisements notifying employers and employees that the Ministerial Order to give effect to the cut in the National Minimum Wage will come into operation from Tuesday next, February 1st.

“Tuesday is the day on which it is expected that the general election will be called, providing people with the opportunity to boot Fianna Fail and the Green Party out of office.

“It is absolutely unacceptable that this minority government should be proceeding with such a controversial measure on what will effectively be its last day in office. It has no moral or political authority to do so.

“Labour and the other parties in opposition opposed the legislation to cut the National Minimum Wage when it was going through the Dail before Christmas. If the Labour Party is elected to government, we are committed to restoring the minimum wage to €8.65 level.

“Requiring employers to cut the minimum wage, when the expectation is that a new government will reverse the cut after the election, will simply make extra administrative work for employers.

“The level of the National Minimum Wage has no impact whatsoever on the national fiscal situation but cutting it will ensure that some people will be working at or below subsistence levels of income.

Cllr Mulvihill concluded by stating “This move was unnecessary