28/08/2014

Minister for Business and Employment Accused Of 'Posturing'

The Labour Minister for Business and Employment has been accused of "posturing" over calls for pay rises for low and middle income families.

Making the accusation, Sinn Féin President Gerry Adams said: "Measures such as the Universal Social Charge, Water Charges and the Property Tax are making it impossible for many Irish people to cope and forcing them abroad.

"In many cases we are losing our best and our brightest.

"We must also be conscious of those who cannot afford to leave and are existing in desperate circumstances.

"The growing problem of Ireland’s working poor needs action rather than press statements. While we have had some posturing by Labour TDs, including Ged Nash’s call for pay increases for low and middle income earners, we have had no positive action from government.

"The reality is that the Labour Party has failed to stand up for working people in government and has simply acted as a rubber stamp for Fine Gael’s austerity policies."

(MH)

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