Patricia Callan, Director of the Small Firms Association said in a press release, Ireland has the second highest National Minimum Wage (NMW) within the EU. The rate of €8.65 per hour is more than twice that of the United States, the largest economy in the world and 19% higher than the UK, our nearest competitor. It is thirteen times that of Bulgaria.
but corruption in Bulgaria makes Irish corruption look tame.
The European Commission is to decide on Wednesday whether to block massive sanctions on Bulgaria for failing to tackle corruption. According to sources in Brussels, the Netherlands, France and Britain have taken the initiative to block hundreds of millions of euros in EU funds.
According to the Euranet programme, the sanctions could top 600 million euros. “When Bulgaria joined the EU last year, doubts arose whether the country would be able to tackle corruption. There have been few signs since then that any concrete steps have been taken.”, says editor Caroline Dijckmeester.
dotBG says “Perhaps the Small Firms Association who do justice to the acronym SFA should bugger off to Bulgaria where there is obviously a euro or two to be made on the exploitation of workers and more via corruption”