Interview: "Introducing a living wage is vital for guaranteeing reasonable standards of living", argues Mick Antoniw

Mick Antoniw, Assembly Member for Pontypridd and member of the Party of European Socialists (PES) at CoR discusses 'Standards of remuneration in employment in the EU' ahead of his report on the same topic being voted on at CoR's December plenary session.

In the report he focuses priamrily on the principle of a living wage, which according to him has been met with considerable resistance by other political groups in the European Committee of the Regions. This should be clearly differenitated from a minimum wage, he adds.

Mr Antoniw says:

The concept or a living wage has been around for decades. It means paying someone who works enough to have a reasonable standard of living.

In Europe it is more understandable to talk about standards of remuneration. Whichever words we use the concept is understood by all. It is recognised that the greatest contributor to poverty in Europe is low pay. By low pay I mean remuneration which does not allow someone to have a reasonable standard of living.

For this reason countries have introduced a variety of measures to help those in work and in poverty, such as establishment of a minimum wage, or by paying welfare benefits.

In effect, states subsidise poverty pay by employers.

States tax employers, who compete with one another across Europe and often a significant area of competition is the cost of Labour. This creates a downwards spiral on wages, often leading to poverty wages which the state often tops up with social welfare payments.

This undermines a level playing field for trade.

One issue that unites all political parties in the Committee of the Regions, is that we all want to see the people of Europe have work and a reasonable standard of living.

We all want to eradicate poverty but this cannot be achieved unless we eliminate poverty remuneration.

This opinion is not about interfering with wages policies of individual member states. It is most definitely not about undermining collective bargaining.

What it is about is setting a framework for standards of remuneration across Europe, to identify and understand the link between work and poverty and to establish principles of remuneration that we would like to see achieved across Europe in a way that is understandable having regard to the different systems of wages and social welfare across the EU.