business

Government to finalise report into impact of labour cost increases on firms

Neale Richmond, the retail minister, has said that the government is ‘not blind’ to rising costs facing businesses after stinging criticism from Ibec

Ibec has called on the government to pause what it described as ‘uncoordinated and excessive labour cost increases,’ saying that recent reforms will increase the annual wage bill of Irish businesses by €4 billion. Picture: Getty

The government is finalising a report into the impact that recent policy changes have had on businesses in Ireland in the face of rising costs following sharp criticism from Ibec, the business representative group.

Neale Richmond, the Minister of State at the Department of Enterprise, has said the government is “not blind” to the challenges faced by businesses after Ibec accused the coalition of “un-coordinated and excessive labour cost increases”, including a recent €1.40 rise ...