Patricia King, General-Secretary of the Irish Congress of Trade Unions has welcomed the Government's decision to establish a Temporary Wage Subsidy Scheme to maintain jobs and support workers" incomes during this unprecedented crisis, as first called for by ICTU in it's letter of 18 March to the Taoiseach when we outlined the urgent need for a 'temporary wage subsidy scheme" that would help to keep workers in their jobs, protect them from unemployment and loss of income, and to help the economy rapidly recover when the Covid ends. 'these unprecedented times demand unprecedented measures to minimise the impact on workers, their families and the business community",Patricia King said.
The General Secretary added, 'these wage subsidies will help put workers" minds at ease and enable them and their families to meet the immediate challenge at hand – beating Covid-19". "Ireland will overcome the threat to all our health posed by this virus. The more we do now to support the jobs and the incomes of workers through this difficult period, the quicker we will all recover economically afterwards. These measures are essential to protecting the productive capacity of the economy and preventing a depression,she said.
Patricia King said,"We will now work with Government and with employers, both nationally and at firm level, to ensure that this new scheme supports the jobs and incomes of all affected workers, irrespective of the type of contract they have and including those who have already lost their jobs because of Covid-19, and to ensure that employers pay the remaining 30% of workers" pay".
"ICTU acknowledges and welcomes the Government's swift response to our calls and their engagement with us to bring about today's announcement",she said.
