The Irish Congress of Trade Unions (Ictu) is to advise its 600,000 members on how their local TDs vote on the issue of cutting the minimum wage.
Congress said its immediate priority following the Budget announced yesterday is to campaign against the planned cut of €1 in the minimum wage rate.
Ictu general secretary David Begg said there were no fiscal nor economic reasons for the cuts being contemplated. He said the only reason it was being implemented was to allow people who employed those on the minimum wage to put the €40 that would be cut each week into their own pockets
"All the stuff about this being in the national interest is a load of guff," he said.
Earlier this month, Mr Begg, said there was no provision for the Minister for Enterprise to reduce unilaterally the rate of the minimum wage.
He said Ictu had in recent weeks withdrawn an application submitted to the Labour Court some time ago to have the minimum wage rate increased.
