New minimum wage £9

[TJC1]

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.

 

Its engineered. Businesses backed the conservatives in exchange for benefits.

 

Why would they reject it? Its a good deal.

 

---------- Post added 13-08-2015 at 16:00 ----------

 

The living wage is higher than the proposal.

Why call the plan a living wage? Its just a higher min wage.

[discodown]

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

Absolutely. Its in my contract I should have a wage review every year and a performance related pay rise if I warrant it.

 

There hasn't been such a review for the last four years for me and many others but there has been things like massive staff cuts, increase in work, emails as described above, no inestment in IT, no formal training, no promotions, removal of most staff perks and priviliges and other things which have made it a much more difficult place to work but for no discernible benefit.

 

So, I say to you - is it unreasonable to want what is owed to you when you uphold your part of the bargain and more?

 

Big companies will happily do nothing for staff unless forced to. The worst times are passed, if there is £1.3bn extra business, and the share price is up and the overall business is doing better than ever giving us what we are supposed to have anyway isn't going to break the company coffers

[TJC1]

I think they do have power, they can withdraw that support. It was a factor in cons winning election.

[sgtkate]

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

 

Now, I am a nailed on socialist, but even I don't necessarily agree with the increased minimum wage...I'd much rather companies were part owned by employees in the John Lewis style. The problem with increasing wages when a company is doing well is that if it's sales fall the next year they now have an unsustainable wage bill. If the employees took a cut of the profits like a shareholder but had slightly lower wages it would protect that business from a sudden fall in profits, but also encourage workers to make that company profitable as it would DIRECTLY benefit them.

 

However, I would like to see minimum wage rise above inflation to a point where anyone working 30 hours a week + does not need tax credits to get them to an agreed* 'living wage'. If smaller businesses need tax breaks or grants to help them get over the wage shock that might bring then that's absolutely fine. Mutual benefit.

[TJC1]

Absolutely. Its in my contract I should have a wage review every year and a performance related pay rise if I warrant it.

 

There hasn't been such a review for the last four years for me and many others but there has been things like massive staff cuts, increase in work, emails as described above, no inestment in IT, no formal training, no promotions, removal of most staff perks and priviliges and other things which have made it a much more difficult place to work but for no discernible benefit.

 

So, I say to you - is it unreasonable to want what is owed to you when you uphold your part of the bargain and more?

 

Big companies will happily do nothing for staff unless forced to. The worst times are passed, if there is £1.3bn extra business, and the share price is up and the overall business is doing better than ever giving us what we are supposed to have anyway isn't going to break the company coffers

 

Because some businesses use the overall economy as an excuse to cut wages and perks. And then dont restore when times are obviously good.

If your boss is still driving about in his bentley, ask him how the company is doing.

 

---------- Post added 13-08-2015 at 16:13 ----------

 

Now, I am a nailed on socialist, but even I don't necessarily agree with the increased minimum wage...I'd much rather companies were part owned by employees in the John Lewis style. The problem with increasing wages when a company is doing well is that if it's sales fall the next year they now have an unsustainable wage bill. If the employees took a cut of the profits like a shareholder but had slightly lower wages it would protect that business from a sudden fall in profits, but also encourage workers to make that company profitable as it would DIRECTLY benefit them.

 

However, I would like to see minimum wage rise above inflation to a point where anyone working 30 hours a week + does not need tax credits to get them to an agreed* 'living wage'. If smaller businesses need tax breaks or grants to help them get over the wage shock that might bring then that's absolutely fine. Mutual benefit.

 

I think john lewis cooperative style is good. I wish more big business would adopt that model.

[Cyclone]

Its engineered. Businesses backed the conservatives in exchange for benefits.

 

Why would they reject it? Its a good deal.

 

---------- Post added 13-08-2015 at 16:00 ----------

 

The living wage is higher than the proposal.

Why call the plan a living wage? Its just a higher min wage.

 

They CAN'T reject it. They have no ability to change or ignore the law.

 

They can withdraw their backing for the next election, yes, but that's 4 years away and each company owner only gets 1 vote.

 

---------- Post added 14-08-2015 at 08:02 ----------

 

Absolutely. Its in my contract I should have a wage review every year and a performance related pay rise if I warrant it.

 

There hasn't been such a review for the last four years for me and many others but there has been things like massive staff cuts, increase in work, emails as described above, no inestment in IT, no formal training, no promotions, removal of most staff perks and priviliges and other things which have made it a much more difficult place to work but for no discernible benefit.

 

So, I say to you - is it unreasonable to want what is owed to you when you uphold your part of the bargain and more?

 

Big companies will happily do nothing for staff unless forced to. The worst times are passed, if there is £1.3bn extra business, and the share price is up and the overall business is doing better than ever giving us what we are supposed to have anyway isn't going to break the company coffers

 

It sounds like some collective bargaining wouldn't go amiss.

 

Or quit and go somewhere that does value it's staff.

[lamestalker]

I get above the minimum wage now, so I will be hoping for a big increase, to keep my differential with other low skilled workers.

 

 

Me. Me. Me. ME. ME. ME!!!!!!!!!!

 

 

 

 

 

 

ME!!!!!!

[TJC1]

me. Me. Me. Me. Me. Me!!!!!!!!!!

 

 

 

 

 

 

me!!!!!!

 

me!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[RonJeremy]

It is interfering in the market place and I disagree with it strongly. However, because inflation is so low, I can see why they are doing it. It will inevitably lead to higher inflation. It could be a clever ruse.

As to whether businesses make money and pay tax - that depends on the costs of production including human resources. If it costs 5£ to produce something and you sell it for 7£ then you should be able to make a profit, pay taxes and have job security for your staff if you are clever enough to market it, sell enough of them all of which takes hard work and skill.

If the government increases your costs of production so it costs you £7.01 to produce, you will either go bust or have to increase your prices (hence the inflation). Not everyone can increase their prices. No profit is made, jobs are lost and no tax is paid. It is a very high risk strategy it seems to me.

 

One good side I can see is that it has shut up the people going on about the "living wage" - it really has shot that particular fox.

 

As for the John Lewis principle for a business model - get cracking - there's nothing stopping you from setting one up, but there is a reason there are very few of these types of business, traditional structure works much better for all concerned.

[Cyclone]

Me. Me. Me. ME. ME. ME!!!!!!!!!!

 

 

 

 

 

 

ME!!!!!!

 

It's not unreasonably though.

 

If you've trained or have skills that have value, then you expect to be rewarded with higher pay than someone that has no skills apart from turning up.