Does the EU, Political elite, liberal left hate/punish people on low wages?

[bigsexydoug]

actually i think the liberal left really do want to help out, they are well meaning but they are simply unable AT ALL to see the bigger picture, for example greece, they actually think they are helping greece out with these massive loans but are actually only causing them more hardship, when its abuntley clear greece should defualt.

[MrSmith]

It seems everything that comes from this cosy elite often involves an addional cost/or tax.

 

We have congestion charging, green taxes, parking charges and now we have a new one (this one)

 

http://www.express.co.uk/posts/view/292546/New-tax-slaps-450-on-family-holiday

 

All these additional charges involve some kind of admin fee and people employed to administer them.

 

Would it not be simpler and easier to ban anyone who earns less than £30,000 per annum from flying on a plane?

 

Clearly this additional charge (like all the rest) will hit the hardest working people in our society and pave the way for our political eliete, eu, liberal eliete to fly in peace without having to mix with commoners.

 

And we have to pay taxes to fund these people's jobs?

 

Madness

 

I don’t see what is unreasonable about it and if fewer people travel abroad that would mean more people spending their holiday money here, if the government need to employ extra people to do the admin it means more people in employment.

[xenia]

China and India don't have our cost of living, so their workers can live on much less than the Western world. If we reduced our salaries to compete with theirs we would have starvation in this country.

 

If we then make up a living wage with welfare payments the money would come from the taxpayer instead of the employer.

 

Why shouldn't the employer pay a decent living wage? After all, he makes the profits out of his employees labour.

 

The answer to your question is as follows. An employers first responsibility is the ongoing viability of its business. Employment is created to ensure that the goods or services can be provided. Employment is not created merely to create jobs.

 

The public sector is the only area in this country where such jobs can be created. (Lesbian Outreach Workers for instance, totally unecessary but it keeps them off the dole.)

 

Employers are too highly taxed, welfare payments are far too high, cut public expenditure by 50% reduce taxes accordingly. You would then see this country prosper.

[xenia]

Also freeze minimum wage for 5 years.

[ANGELFIRE1]

Over 50% of our overseas trade is with the EU. If we walked away you would soon find out what "poor" really means.

 

 

What gives you the idea that if we left the EU we would lose 50% of our overseas trade overnight. The overseas company's that get a good deal from us now would continue to do so. I don't see the non EU Countries holding out the begging bowl.

 

I was one of the "lucky ones" who was old enough to have a vote on this issue, I voted for a "common market" not to be dictated to by Germany and France.

 

Get out asap would be my vote now, we are paying BILLIONS into a corrupt organisation that has NEVER had it's accounts ratified since its inception. Wonder why, would you care to answer.

 

Angel.

[ANGELFIRE1]

Whoops, posted the same post twice. Apologies.

 

Angel.

[LeMaquis]

It seems everything that comes from this cosy elite often involves an addional cost/or tax.

 

We have congestion charging, green taxes, parking charges and now we have a new one (this one)

 

I'm sure that Boris Johnson and all Conservative councils will be surprised to find they're part of the left liberal EU elite.

[Rupert_Baehr]

China and India don't have our cost of living, so their workers can live on much less than the Western world. If we reduced our salaries to compete with theirs we would have starvation in this country.

 

If we then make up a living wage with welfare payments the money would come from the taxpayer instead of the employer.

 

Why shouldn't the employer pay a decent living wage? After all, he makes the profits out of his employees labour.

 

You answered your question in the first line of your post.

 

In many cases, the employers have to compete with the Chinese and Indians. Other employers (particularly those working in agriculture) have to compete with cheap food imports from 3rd World countries. They have to set their prices accordingly.

 

When faced with two identical items, one of which costs 50% more then the other, British consumers - like those in many in other countries - tend to go for the cheaper item.

[anywebsite]

You answered your question in the first line of your post.

 

In many cases, the employers have to compete with the Chinese and Indians. Other employers (particularly those working in agriculture) have to compete with cheap food imports from 3rd World countries. They have to set their prices accordingly.

 

They don't have to compete, they could do something else instead, work in an industry that 3rd world countries don't have the skills to compete in for example. These jobs also tend to pay more.

 

Employers working in agriculture already get huge government subsidies. It isn't right that they survive only by illegally paying immigrants below the minimum wage & by collecting subsidies. We should buy cheaper food imports from the 3rd world, which would help those countries to develop, instead of wasting so much cash on exploitative farmers in the EU. Have you ever seen a poor farm owner in the EU?

[Rupert_Baehr]

They don't have to compete, they could do something else instead, work in an industry that 3rd world countries don't have the skills to compete in for example. These jobs also tend to pay more.

 

So you're telling all the low-paid low-skilled workers in the UK (and there is no shortage of those) that they should ho out and get a job in a high-tech industry? Doing what?

 

The difference between a low-paid low-skilled worker in the UK and his counterpart in China and India is that the British low-skilled low pair worker gets paid rather more.

 

Employers working in agriculture already get huge government subsidies. It isn't right that they survive only by illegally paying immigrants below the minimum wage & by collecting subsidies.

 

Some of them get huge subsidies. If you're suggesting that agricultural subsidies should be scrapped, I agree with you. But then you could expect significant increases in the cost of food.

 

If, as you suggest, they only survive by paying below the minimum wage and by collecting subsidies and they are required to increase wages and forgo the subsidies, then they will have to increase prices to continue to survive - or get out of agriculture.

 

A number have chosen the latter. How many Yorkshire farmers have stopped farming? Did they stop because they were making too much money?

 

I knew a dairy farmer in Dorset. Dairy farming is hard work; it's a 7 day a week job and the returns are low. He sold off his herd and moved out of (conventional) agriculture. His fields now grow two crops. In summertime, they're covered with tents; in winter they're covered with boats and caravans. The 'farm' is now profitable (and he doesn't have to get up early on Sunday mornings to milk the campers. - He does that the night before.

 

We should buy cheaper food imports from the 3rd world, which would help those countries to develop, instead of wasting so much cash on exploitative farmers in the EU.

 

Do you really think that the money which goes to the farm owners in the 3rd World is passed on to the farm workers? The UK imports significant amounts of food from Kenya and from Egypt. There are very many starving people in both of those countries. How does taking the food out of the mouths of their children (quite literally) help those countries to develop?

 

Have you ever seen a poor farm owner in the EU?

Very many. Those who quit farming don't do so because they become too rich.

 

Much of the food sold in the UK is subsidised. Food in the UK is comparatively cheap. I'm glad you agree that those subsidies should be removed. I'm glad you agree that agricultural workers should be paid more. I hope you're prepared to pay considerably higher prices to achieve those goals.