mr president this goes beyond ireland
only a month ago i reminded the house that pensions were exclusively the competence of the member states and here we go again using the same language of coordination and retirement-setting mechanisms
now pensions are almost always related to earnings so do we see here an attempt to harmonise wages
i hope not because the treaties also say that wages are an exclusive competence of the member states
it is all very well to say that equal must mean equal pay but should all workers doing the same job get the same pay across the eu
as an example think climate keeping a house warm near the arctic circle needs much more money than in mediterranean countries
add in winter clothing snow clearance and all the rest and it is obvious that to pay all workers the same would leave some with more spare cash than others
of course wages cannot be equal
the commission's intentions in drawing up plans to encourage member states to introduce an eu minimum wage policy and set retirement mechanisms are going against the treaties
i am not surprised this is the eu at work
a harmonised wage and pensions policy is not just a dream it is illegal
leave it as the treaties demand to the competence of elected governments like mine at westminster and like that in ireland
