Minister says there's no 'argument for living wage' on Island

Mon, 27 Apr 2015

Work permits will not be restricted so that they're only given out for jobs which pay a "living wage".

That's the message from the Department of Economic Development which has come under fire from politicians who are concerned that people coming to work here can't afford to live.

Onchan MHK Peter Karran is one person who's championing the cause - he thinks it should be policy that people on work permits should be able to afford decent accommodation:

Minister Laurence Skelly says it wouldn't be appropriate to combine the work permit process and the "living wage" argument - because as it stands we don't have one: