Speaking after some MLA’s spoke publicly about the proposed wage cuts, People Before Profit MLA Gerry Carroll had this to say:
‘MLAs who are afraid of having their salary reduced to £36,000 are completely out of touch with the living conditions of ordinary people. Whole communities are struggling to get by from month to month – many have to top up their wages with working tax credits. Why should MLAs earn more than double the people they are meant to represent?’
‘I take an average worker’s wage, as per People Before Profit policy. But even that wage is more than many people in my constituency of West Belfast can expect to earn. Wages for workers across the North are ridiculously low. Perhaps if all MLAs earned the average wage of those they represented, they would be more earnest in their efforts to improve the wages of all workers.’
‘If MLAs say they cannot live on £36,000, then many will wonder what lifestyle they were living in the first place. For too long Stormont has been a gravy train for politicians receiving high salaries. It’s high time that system came to an end.’
