Richard Boyd Barrett (Dún Laoghaire, People Before Profit Alliance) | Oireachtas source

Ireland is a low-wage economy. Employee compensation as a percentage of total operating costs in Ireland stands at 22%, one of the lowest anywhere in Europe. It is considerably less for workers than is the case in Britain, France, Germany and most other European countries. Workers in this country, frankly, are being screwed against a backdrop in which productivity is high and profits are rising. The collapse of the joint labour committees and the lack of legislation on collective bargaining, thereby giving workers trade union rights, mean employers are not disposed to give people wage increases, even where they are making profits. What proactive measures will the Government take to ensure workers get a share of the profits they are producing to deliver them from deprivation, as well as to give a boost to the economy which could lead to the creation of jobs? There is no trade-off involved as if workers are paid a little more, they will have more to spend and it could create more jobs.

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