All hope is lost if we must depend on exploiting minimum wage workers

SIR, The proposed increase of 30 cent per hour to those on the minimum wage, even though minimal, is welcome, but it has brought the usual objections and reservations from employers faced with funding the increase and employer groups expressing reasons as to why it should not be increased at this time.

Obviously for employers there is no good time to give a pay rise, but those on the minimum wage who are faced with the same costs as those on much higher incomes see it as an obvious necessity to keep pace with the rising costs of living and the struggle faced in meeting their financial outgoings on a daily basis.

In the same week as this three per cent pay rise, construction workers were granted a 10 pe cent pay increase but did not meet the same objections from their employer groups, even though their hourly rate is almost twice that of those on the minimum wage.

The reality is that the majority of those on the minimum wage or less, are women and younger people who work in precarious employment with little job security or satisfaction on zero hour and uncertain contracts. These are the people who care for our children in crèches, care for older people in nursing homes, serve us in restaurants and at checkout counters among other duties and who are expected by customers to do so with a smile while working at the bottom of the pay scale.

It was despicable to hear a spokesman from ISME (Irish Small and Medium Enterprise) trying to depict those on the minimum wage as being either low skilled or non-skilled, which shows how little he thinks of those workers. He ought to realise that all workers are skilled in their own right.

Pay increases on their own may not be the only way to improve the value of people’s incomes as there are measures under government control that could be used, along with measures to help employers deliver pay increases and still remain competitive. Unfortunately some employers may be using the minimum wage to deliberately exploit workers by keeping their wages down while they reap the benefits.

In any case, as employer groups appear to contend, if the success of our economy is dependent on keeping five per cent of the workforce on the present minimum wage and sometimes in somewhat exploitive employment while others are on many multiples of that amount, then there is little hope for us in this country. Sincerely,

Christy Kelly. Templeglantine,

Co Limerick.