Unite says social wage key to growing living standards

June 16th: Commenting on new figures released by Eurostat which show Irish living standards well below the EU-15 average, Unite Regional Secretary Jimmy Kelly today said the latest statistics again highlight the need for Employer’s PRSI to be raised to the European average.

“The latest Eurostat figures on living standards – what the agency terms ‘Actual Individual Consumption’ – show that Ireland is well below the EU average, and only ahead of Spain, Greece and Portugal.

“To put it in Euros and cents, every man, woman and child in Ireland would need an additional €3,200 expenditure in consumer spending, income supports and public services such as health and education to reach the EU-15 average.

“At the same time, Employer’s PRSI, which in other EU countries funds services such as universal healthcare, as well as other income supports, would need to more than double to reach the EU average.

“Unite is calling on the Government to use the forthcoming Budget to start increasing Employer’s PRSI to the European average in order to fund the ‘social wage’ – the public services and income supports, from healthcare to pay-related maternity and sickness benefit, which other European workers take for granted.

“If workers are to see the fruits of economic recovery, employers must start paying their fair share”, Jimmy Kelly concluded.