Increases to Minimum Wage Rate Premature and Unwarranted

Chambers Ireland is calling on Government to prioritise securing Ireland’s economic recovery and ensuring sustainable jobs growth when considering the Report of the Low Pay Commission.

Speaking yesterday, Mark O’Mahoney, Director of Policy and Communications, Chambers Ireland said, “We are in danger of undermining our economic recovery if we do not focus on maintaining our competitiveness. Ireland’s recent economic performance has been strong, but as the Report of the Low Pay Commission itself points out, this recovery has been patchy and Ireland still faces risks from the external environment.”

“The Report of the Low Pay Commission recommends a significant increase of almost 6% to the National Minimum Wage. An increase of this level is both premature and unwarranted. We urge Government to consider the full impact such an increase will have on future employment growth and our national competitiveness”, he concluded.