New minimum wage £9

[discodown]

Because it's impossible to make everyone highly paid (or even well paid). It's simply a socialist dream that has no basis in reality.

 

What about the people currently earning £9/hr, they're going to want a £2/hr pay rise as well, and so is everyone else in the system

I'm no socialist but it seems to me that when workers argue about crumbs and big companies have pretty much the whole cake things are fundamentally wrong.

 

The company I work for sent out their half yearly statement as an email recently, everything fabulous £1.3bn extra business, share price never been stronger etc etc. But half the people where I work - including me - haven't had a pay review for the 4th or 5th year running. If things are so good where's my fair share?

 

I don't need the weatherman to tell me when its raining. Time to get out. Its pure greed and exploitation and its not acceptable. Wage increases aren't a necessary evil they are whats owed for fair work and to decent workers and the fact the government has to step in and enforce it on big companies speaks volumes

[Cyclone]

This cake analogy is doing the rounds isn't it.

 

Of course it ignores the fact that the owners of big companies are often not so rich themselves, and your pension fund probably depends on the performance of these companies...

You could of course also buy shares directly in the company you work for, and then you'll benefit directly from the dividends they'll pay out.

 

I don't know what company you work for, but is it as simple as you make out? Take Rolls Royce for example;

 

http://www.standard.co.uk/business/business-news/battered-rolls-royce-lifted-by-13-billion-contract-wins-10401690.html

 

New contract wins of £1.3 billion... Read the story though, it's not money in the bank.

 

A fortnight on from its third profit warning in less than 18 months,

You could understand why RR hasn't given anyone a payrise in a few years if you look at it's performance, rather than the recent contract win, which it might have needed just to stay afloat in the long run.

[discodown]

You could of course also buy shares directly in the company you work for, and then you'll benefit directly from the dividends they'll pay out.

Thats a great idea. I'll use the spare money sloshing around from my pay increase...

 

...no wait

[Cyclone]

So you don't like that the people who DO risk capital are the ones who get the benefit... And you're not prepared to put any capital of your own at risk, but you'd like to share in the benefits...

[TJC1]

I am not a big fan of this, the UK needs to stay competitive globally and a 9£ minimum wage is going to have a lot of international organisations look around for cheaper alternatives (Ireland anybody?).

 

Here is an overview of current, relevant, minimum wages as they are currently (Conversion 1E is 0.71£)

 

Germany: 8,50 Euros - 6,05£ (including NI and pension contributions!)

France: 9,61 Euros - 6,83£

Ireland: 8,65 Euros - 6,15£

Italy: non (collective bargaining arrangement)

Spain: Very low monthly based (around 3£)

Netherlands: 8,70 Euros - 6,18£

Belgium: 9,12 Euros - 6,49£ (important for car manufacturing)

 

9£ brings the UK to the highest level of minimum wages in the world, in line with Australia and Luxemburg (By that time there will probably be a few more).

 

Raising the minimum wage is going to increase the black market (Think of cleaners, carers, security etc.) and simply creating a higher median is not going to help, it will just increase the mean and thus the poverty line and hey presto, more people are considered poor because they make just over the minimum wage.

 

Also, aren't all sorts of benefits linked directly to minimum wage?

 

Its ideological. The tories announced it to offset cuts in julys budget. They are removing in work benefits.

Its also a trade for tax cuts to big business.

 

It might not work in practice. Private business have to pick up the slack for it to be effective.

 

It could possibly lead to greater unemployment. Who knows?

 

---------- Post added 13-08-2015 at 15:33 ----------

 

I've no problem with the minimum increasing, as long as everyone else's increases proportionally. I spent time and effort to get the qualifications and experience I have, so I didn't have to do a minimum wage job. Raising that but not matching everyone else's just devalues all that hard work

 

A disproportionate rise for you will not happen im afraid

 

---------- Post added 13-08-2015 at 15:36 ----------

 

So you don't like that the people who DO risk capital are the ones who get the benefit... And you're not prepared to put any capital of your own at risk, but you'd like to share in the benefits...

 

Its a trade off for business tax cuts.

Or do you think businesses would agree to this without some sort of return?

[discodown]

So you don't like that the people who DO risk capital are the ones who get the benefit... And you're not prepared to put any capital of your own at risk, but you'd like to share in the benefits...

Nope. Never said any of that.

 

Fair pay for the work I do and have done is what I saying. Its perfectly simple

[TJC1]

I dont think the rise is enough.

Its not the living wage so why call it that?

[Cyclone]

Its a trade off for business tax cuts.

Or do you think businesses would agree to this without some sort of return?

 

Do you think that they have any option?

 

---------- Post added 13-08-2015 at 15:46 ----------

 

Nope. Never said any of that.

 

Fair pay for the work I do and have done is what I saying. Its perfectly simple

 

Indeed. Of course "fair" is a difficult to pin down value.

[TJC1]

Do you think that they have an option?

 

Of course osborne etc consulted with big business. Its done behind closed doors.

Or do you think he shuts his eyes makes a cut or increase and hopes for the best?

 

---------- Post added 13-08-2015 at 15:51 ----------

 

 

Indeed. Of course "fair" is a difficult to pin down value.

 

Its not a living wage. We know that.

 

---------- Post added 13-08-2015 at 15:52 ----------

 

100 business leaders publicly backed the conservatives in an open letter in the right wing press.

Raise in min wage for tax cuts. Businesses have done well out if this, so should workers.

[Cyclone]

You implied that businesses had some power to reject it. Consultation doesn't give them that power.

 

I'm pretty sure he shuts his eyes when he makes a cut. And his sense of basic human decency and empathy.

 

The living wage is nonsense. Have you seen how it was calculated.