RGDATA hikes ups political pressure over business costs

RGDATA has continued to apply pressure on the Government over the record increase in business costs with continued lobbying by retailers of local TDs.

The lobbying provides retailers with an opportunity to outline the crippling impact of increases in labour costs on their family businesses. At a recent meeting in the mid-west, one RGDATA member questioned a Government TD as to whether the wage increases formed part of a deliberate policy by the Government to shut down local family run shops.

RGDATA was sharply critical of the Government attempts to ram through cost increases without assessing the capacity of retailers to bear these hikes in labour costs.

As a result, the Government agreed to review the impact of the new increases and RGDATA members have contributed to the review on the impact of recent cost increases.

RGDATA has also criticised the existing support measures introduced for business and called on the Government to urgently introduce new measures to ease the burden on family-owned shops. The Government has promised to introduce fresh supports to help retailers to meet increasing labour costs.

RGDATA will be taking its campaign directly to Leinster House in the coming weeks.

The next 12 months promises to be an eventful year for RGDATA members as the continued pressures of high business costs and crime continue to dominate the agenda. The full impact of the increase in the National Minimum Wage and the statutory sick pay scheme will be felt in early 2024. The new Deposit Return Scheme is also due to kick in from 1 February 2024.

A raft of new laws are promised this year which will impact on the retail grocery. 2024 will also see at least two elections in June – the European and Local Elections