Low paid ignored in Budget, says ICTU
by Bernard Harbor
 
ICTU general secretary, Patricia King, said €1.5 billion of tax cuts, mainly allocated to increasing the standard rate band, would do nothing for the low-paid.
ICTU general secretary, Patricia King, said €1.5 billion of tax cuts, mainly allocated to increasing the standard rate band, would do nothing for the low-paid.

The Irish Congress of Trade Unions (ICTU) has said that this week’s Budget failed to recognise low-paid essential workers. Its general secretary, Patricia King, said €1.5 billion of tax cuts, mainly allocated to increasing the standard rate band, would do nothing for the low-paid.

 

“The Government needs to address the scourge of low pay. Its own tax strategy group estimates that 750,000 employees earned less than €400 per week in 2019. I acknowledge the 30 cent increase in the national minimum wage, but progress towards a living wage and concrete measures to promote collective bargaining are essential to tackle low pay,”she said.

 

Patricia also expressed concern that the Budget did not begin to provide the resources needed to improve public services and address the challenges like the ageing population, global heating or the digitisation of the workplace.

 

“Public spending per person in Ireland before the pandemic hit was 7.5% below the average in comparable high-income western European countries.

 

“ICTU acknowledges the measures to improve early years’ services and conditions for early years’ professionals, but we remain of the view that the most appropriate and efficient way to reform early years’ services is through public provision,” she said.

 

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