Minimum wag has gone up in total by 20% in the last couple of years, I doubt very much that there are many further up the line on higher salaries who have got a 20% wage increase in 2 years.That the question the OP asked. Have you anything to substantiate that conclusion?
Can't wait to see how Sinn Fein will respond at their next HR meetingBe interesting to see how companies who pay the "living wage" respond to the minimum wage increase.
Where I work we've reduced our headcount by 25% over the last 5 years but increased our turnover and profit by investing in automation and improving processes. The drivers for that were the need to reduce prices and the chronic shortage of skilled labour. Wage rates are really not a factor either way. If we could find the people we'd pay them whatever they asked.My own feeling is that minimum wage does not matter when economy is at full employment like it is now. But when the economy is in a downturn a minimum wage of €13.50 will stop some employers from hiring at all.
Many have forgotten but the troika forced Ireland to cut the national minimum wage from €8.65 to €7.65 in late 2010 when unemployment was 14% but it was the first thing that the incoming FG-Labour coalition reversed when it come into office a month or two later.
Personally I think minimum wage legislation should have in-built flexibility to provide for a reduced rate during tough economic times but not many politicians have the courage.
That might work in high tech or manufacturing environment where you can replace man power with technology it doesn't work in hospitality .Where I work we've reduced our headcount by 25% over the last 5 years but increased our turnover and profit by investing in automation and improving processes. The drivers for that were the need to reduce prices and the chronic shortage of skilled labour. Wage rates are really not a factor either way. If we could find the people we'd pay them whatever they asked.
The State sector is grossly inefficient and that has been covered over by our Corporation Tax receipts. Just about every Body that is run with Public money is inefficient and badly run. That includes the OPW, the HSE, RTE, Charities etc. As the State gets bigger and bigger and takes and spends more and more money from the economy that inefficiency, incompetence and waste has a bigger and bigger impact on the country. From people dying on trollies in our over funded but badly run hospitals to urban decay caused by lack of policing and local authorities who waste so much money that they can't keep the streets clean.That might work in high tech or manufacturing environment where you can replace man power with technology it doesn't work in hospitality .
In my opinion government has been spoiled by corporation tax receipts and are now divorced from the reality of running a small business in Ireland. We have the highest energy costs in EU, probably among highest minimum wage now aswell. Look at how the government managed the children's hospital, the bike shed and security hut projects to see how hopelessly out of touch they are with reality on the ground. They are like a fat smug pig as brendan o Connor put it on the radio the other day