Brady blasts ‘totally inadequate’ minimum wage pay increase | Latest Newry News, Newry Sport and Newry Business for Newry City

Brady blasts ‘totally inadequate’ minimum wage pay increase

Sinn Féin’s Mickey Brady has blasted minimum wage pay increases as ‘totally inadequate’.

The Newry/Armagh Westminster candidate said that it was clear the interests of working-class people here were not being served by a Tory government in Westminster.

He made his comments after the British government’s Low Pay Commission proposed that the minimum wage be increased by 3 per cent.

The MLA said the increase falls far short of what is required to lift people out of poverty. “The Low Pay Commission proposed increases to the minimum wage for people over 21 by 3% to £6.70, for 18-20 years by 3.3% to £5.30 and by 2.2% to £3.87 for workers aged 16 and 17.

“These are totally inadequate to lift people out of poverty and provide increased disposable income to boost the economy. There are now more people in work and living in poverty than those out of work. This proposed 3% increase for someone paid the minimum wage represents a derisory 20p per hour increase.

“While 3% might well be a decent increase for someone earning large salaries, it is a pittance for people earning well short of what is required to lift them out of poverty. It is clear the interests of working-class people here are not being served by a Tory government in Westminster,” he continued.

“Sinn Féin want to see the introduction of a range of progressive measures to deal with the issues of zero hour contracts, subsistence wages and worker exploitation. We believe that all workers should be paid a living wage.

“The findings that some employers continue to pay workers below the minimum wage further reinforces the need for comprehensive legislation to both protect and improve workers’ rights.

Brady added, “The proposals by the Low Pay Commission will not only fail to achieve this but it also proposes the perpetuation of inequality between workers under 21 and those over this age. All workers, regardless of age or gender are entitled to equal pay for equal work.”

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Posted by on Mar 9 2015. Filed under Community, Politics. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0. You can leave a response or trackback to this entry

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