The Irish Congress of Trade Unions has said that Budget 2017 should aim to raise living standards through investment of €2 billion in key services and critical infrastructure.

Speaking last week, as Congress published its 2017 pre-budget submission, general secretary Patricia King said: “We need to raise people’s living standards and boost the social wage by investing in a range of key services such as health, education and childcare. After eight long years of crisis and diminished living standards the citizens of this society deserve far better.

“People deserve an inclusive equality-proofed budget that places the welfare and betterment of the majority at its very core, a budget that will prioritise higher living standards, and deliver this through a transformative programme of investment in infrastructure, services and service delivery.”

The pre-budget submission, People Deserve Better, proposes:

• €2 billion in additional spending to boost the Social Wage, by investing in key services and infrastructure;
• ‘Growth friendly’ tax measures to raise an additional €1 billion in revenue;
• A sum of €1 billion allocated to tackle the Housing Emergency;
• An end to the reduced VAT rate for the tourism sector, while low pay and precarious employment remain so pronounced in the industry;
• Increasing employer PRSI on the portion of salaries above €100,000 to fund childcare provision.
• Introduce a Net Wealth Tax

The Congress submission outlines four key priorities for Budget 2017:

• Repair & Rebuild
• Raise the Social Wage
• Tackle the Housing Emergency
• Decent Work & the Living Wage

For more details see HERE