THE "twin scourges" of long term unemployment and low paid work must be treated as a political and social priority, the Minister for Social Welfare, Mr De Rossa, has said.

Speaking at the launch of a Democratic Left discussion paper, which makes the case for a minimum wage and minimum income, Mr De Rossa said yesterday that his party was homing in on one aspect of workers lives - "those who work for slave wages".

It was appropriate that May 1st, Labour Day, be the date to begin an examination of the party's document, "Monkey Business? Working For Peanuts", he said.

He said that according to the Revenue Commissioners, nearly a quarter of the workforce earned less than two thirds of the average national wage. It was estimated that 23 per cent of workers would learn less than £9,000 in 1996/97.

In a May Day statement the Minister for Labour Affairs, Ms Fitzgerald, said the rights of workers would be expanded through legislation this year.

The Working Time Bill recognised, for the first time, the need to reconcile working and family life. It also gave new protections to part time workers.

protection of young persons' legislation aimed to ensure that young people were not exploited in the workforce.

A new Bill was being drafted, she said, which would give workers in large multinationals which operated within the EU the right to information and consultation through a representative process. "This marks an important development in building real partnership in the workplace," she said.