Union: cutting energy bills ‘reduces precariousness’

The General Workers Union has called for "immediate and extraordinary" measures that will help minimum wage workers increase their purchasing power, but said it was untrue that the union is not in favour of COLA increments.

A week after Labour leader Joseph Muscat told unions not to expect an increase in minimum wage if elected to government, the GWU said a reduction in energy tariffs - as being proposed by the PL - would have a positive effect on the purchasing power of low-income families.

"As a first priority the GWU believes immediate and extraordinary social measures must be taken to improve the standard of living of both minimum wage earners and those who earn just €22 above the minimum wage," a reference to a Caritas benchmark study that recommended an increase in the minimum wage.

The GWU, whose pre-electoral demands include a minimum wage increase but has not pushed on this demand with Labour, said that reducing energy tariffs would assist businesses in offering employees better salaries and conditions.

"This would also help in reducing precarious employment," the union claimed, without explaining the link between energy tariff reductions and working conditions.

The GWU said that at no point had it proposed that there would be no increase in the cost of living allowance for minimum wage, referring to claims by the Prime Minister that Labour wanted a wage 'freeze' on wages.