Small business body speaks out over ‘madcap’ sick pay proposals
The Irish Small and Medium Enterprises Associa-tion (ISME) has criticised “madcap” proposals on increases to sick pay and PRSI being mooted by Minister for Social Protection Joan Burton.
ISME chief executive Mark Fielding said: “Our phones have been hopping with calls from business owners protesting at the ill-conceived and frightening proposals from the Minister for Social Protection.
“There is absolutely no job creation at SME level because of the disastrous uncertainty created by Minister Burton’s self-serving rumour mongering of four weeks’ sick pay and PRSI increases,” he added. “In her case, loose talk is costing jobs.”
Fielding called on the Taoiseach and the cabinet to “up their game, speak with one voice and deliver on their jobs promises”.
Reacting to Live Register figures published earlier this month, the ISME outlined that the focus should be “on assisting enterprise to create and retain employment by putting the proper platforms in place to allow them to trade successfully, rather than stopping job plans through dangerous kite-flying”.
The seasonally adjusted figures confirm that 437,300 people are claiming unemployment assistance, putting the standardised unemployment rate at 14.8 per cent.
Meanwhile, the long-term unemployment figure is up 5.3 per cent, described as “most disappointing” by the ISME, along with “the loss of our young to emigration”.
Fielding said: “The much announced ‘Action Plan for Jobs’ is being seen as nothing but a PR exercise from a Government ideologically split and lacking leadership.
“We require clear and targeted pro-enterprise policies to address business concerns, including cost competitiveness, access to finance, social welfare anomalies and public sector costs.
“Then the labour intensive SME sector will have the confidence to start investing and creating employment as it did in the ’90s after the last recession.”
