Ring promises minimum wage u-turn

Ring promises to revert to old minimum wage


Rowan Gallagher

A MAYO Fine Gael TD has promised to reinstate the national minimum wage within a week of a new coalition government being formed but has also admitted his party won’t be able to review the budget until 2012.
Speaking to The Mayo News after the announcement of the 2011 budget Fine Gael TD Michael Ring categorically promised to restore the reduced minimum wage after a budget he described as and attack on the most vulnerable.
“I am very unhappy with the budget by the government. They have attacked the most vulnerable in society - taking from the blind, widows and carers. I don’t see how they can justify that.
“We want to support the carers - after all they are the only people actually working for their social welfare payments. When we are in a position to change the budget we will.”
Deputy Ring added that the Fine Gael policies were clearly laid out and that the policies of his party offered change to the measures laid out in this budget.
Although Deputy Ring has promised to revert back to the old minimum wage he has also confirmed that the new government would not be in a position to alter the plans set out the the current coalition until next year, budget 2012.
“In 1997 when we were creating 1,000 jobs a day Fianna Fail were complaining that we weren’t spending enough money and now look at the state the country is in from Fianna Fail policies,” Deputy Ring added.
The minimum wage has been cut by €1 to €7.65 but people on the new reduced wage will not be included in the tax net.
Information regarding the minimum wage had been leaked well before the budget announcement with business interest groups claiming that it will allow them to be more competitive.