CELTIC COUNTRIES - MINIMUM WAGES PROVIDE SMALL RESPITE FROM POVERTY

With soaring costs for fuel and essentials throughout the Celtic countries it is interesting to compare what safety nets the various governments have in place to assist the most disadvantaged.

One mechanism that the various governments use is the minimum wage but this varies considerably across the Celtic countries.

Both France (which fixes the rate which covers Brittany) and Ireland have the highest level of minimum wage in our sample of the six - respectively £6-85 and 6-80 (or Euro equivalent).

The Isle of Man rate is next highest recently fixed at £6-00 whilst the UK rate which covers Scotland, Wales, Cornwall and N. Ireland is the lowest at £5-73.

There are varying rates for 18-21 year old workers which span the range £5-44 (Ireland), £5-24 (Isle of Man) and £4-77 (UK). In the UK and Ireland there are also even lower rates for 17 year old workers.

It is surprising that the United Kingdom is bottom of the league table as its economy has performed well over the past ten years and the UK Labour government has been effusive in its commitment to Eliminating poverty.

Clearly the UK figure which covers four of the areas the Celtic League are concerned with is a poor safety net for low paid workers. In all those countries (Scotland, Wales, Cornwall and N. Ireland those poverty levels are on the increase.

AS Gordon Brown and his Chancellor Alistair Darling thresh around to find ways to bail-out the City of London the poorest people in society continue to suffer their plight forgotten and promises to lift people out of poverty unrealised.

J B Moffatt Director of Information Celtic League 02/10/08