Competitiveness of Election Candidates Is Not the Only Competitiveness That Matters In Election 2016

The issues determining the ability of Irish business to remain competitive are often out of the hands of business owners and managers. It is the responsibility of Government, its policies and actions to ensure that a competitive environment exists for business to flourish. That is why our Chamber Network Manifesto, A Vision for 2021, calls on the next Government to maintain and protect our ability to compete and to avoid implementing policies that erode our international competitiveness. 

Our ability to compete internationally has been under threat from a series of initiatives aimed at increasing the statutory minimum wage as well as policy discussions, reports and consultations proposing increasingly burdensome employment regulations that will increase the cost base of many Irish businesses and reduce their competitiveness.

We are calling on candidates and whoever may form the next Government to listen to the Irish business community’s voice on maintaining competitiveness.

We want:

  • The Low Pay Commission’s annual deliberation on the rate of the National Minimum Wage to be free from political influence and evidence based
  • Restraint should be exercised unless there is a clear and compelling case for increasing the National Minimum Wage
  • Any proposed new employment regulation must respond to an identifiable gap in regulatory framework, be proportional in addressing that gap and be practicable in a modern economy 

These suggestions would result in more competitive Irish businesses and increased FDI, both of which lead to more and better jobs.

For more information please see: A Vision for 2021 – Manifesto for Ireland’s Future from the Irish Chamber Network

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