Sinn Féin Spokesperson on Jobs, Workers’ Rights & Pay Equality Maurice Quinlivan TD, today said Fine Gael and Fianna Fáil have left 137,000 workers high and dry today as they failed to increase the national minimum wage in Budget 2020.

Speaking from Leinster House this evening, Deputy Quinlivan said;

“I was astonished to see absolutely no mention of an increase in the national minimum wage in the budget today.

“This move will have a very negative impact on the finances of 137,000 workers who currently earn the minimum wage, and when coupled with the new carbon tax, will only add to their financial difficulties.

“There will be no postponement of rising rents, no stop to huge insurance costs or no delay in the callous carbon tax, but it seems Fine Gael and Fianna Fáil simply don’t care if people can afford this or not.

“Workers will see the price of their petrol, home heating oil and gas increase, with no change in their pay, which is already too low.

“To scrap the increase in the minimum wage is a nasty move, and to blame it on Brexit won’t fool anybody.

“In our Alternative Budget, Sinn Féin showed how a Living Wage could be introduced, whilst also protecting financially vulnerable businesses.

“Even the right-wing Tory hardliners in London are proposing a Living Wage for workers. It’s a sad day when the Conservative party’s policy for lower paid workers is more progressive than that of Fine Gael and Fianna Fáil.

“The two parties of government have thrown 137,000 minimum wage workers under the Brexit excuse bus and left them high and dry today.

“Workers and families need a break, but this budget certainly doesn’t deliver that. In fact, it will make life harder for a lot of lower paid workers.”