Minimum Wage

[Martin]

The current rate is 4.85 and it'll rise to 5.05! 20p why can't we have a rate nearer 6.00 quid an hour!!

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/business/4294512.stm

[Roy MM]

My wife was offered £5-70 ph to stay at the nursing home she just left, but weighing up travel expences she is better off at her new job with no buses to catch, the point being, the minimum wage can be a deciding factor of where you work.

[Pø†øƒGøL�]

I believe the wage should reflect the skills required to do the job. Why should there be a minimum of £6/h for unskilled work when someone who requires specific qualifications for their job is only paid similar? All it does is price companies out of the employment market where they cannot afford to employ staff due to the continuing costs.

This is not to suggest that unskilled manual work has less value than skilled work, but I don't agree with parity of pay when there is not parity of skills.

[liamboyle06]

I dont think it is a bad idea increasing the minimium wage, however i would like to see companies(including the one I work for) reward their long term employees, who just about earn over the minimium wage for sticking by. espically when somebody new comes in and are almost on the same wages as those there for over 5 years.

[NitroNutter]

I think the current minimum is kind of ok for its specific age groups, but as the level is actually around 1/3 of the average wage and thats in my miserly locallity, there should be a extra band that will force at least 50% of the national average pay from say 30 years old.

Skilled or unskilled a cog in the workforce machine requires the same respectable oil, else you have an unsatisfied workforce that will become bored in there jobs and do silly things through the working day, hence why so many products break down before they should, aswell as be pulling more sickies etc.

Of course if your a well qualified and skilled worker you really should be looking to get a bare minimum of 66% of the national average, if your on less I would be looking for alternative employment.

A good motto to follow is "Do not undersell yourself"

[punky]

Originally Posted by Martin

The current rate is 4.85 and it'll rise to 5.05! 20p why can't we have a rate nearer 6.00 quid an hour!!

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/business/4294512.stm

Its a balance that needs to be struck. If you force employers to pay too much, it raises costs, and means they hire less staff. It also inhibits growth. What people forget is that when employers do well, they need more staff, more management staff, etc, so employees benefit too. That's why the minimum wage has to be as low as realistically possible.

Most employers know that you don't get the best out of employers (meaning the company suffers all round) by paying them peanuts, so if the company can afford to pay you more, and you deserve it, then most people normally will.

Hmmmm, remember the doom and gloom predictions from the over paid at the CBI, IOD etc when the minimum wage was first being proposed? Funny though, that the end of the financial world has proven not to be nigh.

[Angua]

Thank goodness we haven't got Mr Bush, he would have suspended the Mininmum wage.

[Chrysalis]

Originally Posted by PÃÃâ€*’¸†ÃƒÆ’Æ ’Ãâ€*’¸ƒGÃÃ⠀*’¸LÃÃâ€*†™Ãƒâ€šÃ‚ÂÂ�

I believe the wage should reflect the skills required to do the job. Why should there be a minimum of £6/h for unskilled work when someone who requires specific qualifications for their job is only paid similar? All it does is price companies out of the employment market where they cannot afford to employ staff due to the continuing costs.

This is not to suggest that unskilled manual work has less value than skilled work, but I don't agree with parity of pay when there is not parity of skills.

There was research done which resulted in saying that a single person with no children needs around £7 an hour to eacape poverty, it effectively established anyone below £7 an hour will be in poverty, there would be exceptions of course like if they get help from their family or live rent free etc. That figure rises when you have children of course. So you may complain it is too high but have you had to live on £5 an hour before? and you also need to realise when the pay is low the government has to subsidise many people's wage packets with tax credits costing taxpayers money anyway. And who is to say someone unskilled doesnt work as hard as a person who is skilled? the only difference is skilled people are more in demand since there is less of them.

[SMHarman]

Minimum wage + tax credits > about that (I believe). Plus employment for those administering the credits and etc.

It would be better to have a higher minimum wage, lighter tax regime and higher personal allowances, far more efficent than GBs complexity.

What gets me is the attitude that anyone on minimum wage deserves no better.

At least they are trying to earn a living and not living on benefit.Pity that so many of them can't wholly subsist on what they earn and have to be supported by the state.I should imagine that many of them hate to be in that situation and would rather be totally independant by being paid a 'living' wage.

But then there will always be those who like looking down on others..

[Martin]

Originally Posted by Incognitas

At least they are trying to earn a living and not living on benefit.

I was talking to a bloke this morning who was sick of seeing people on the dole getting paid more for being out of work! But he felt better earning a wage than being out of work!!

I suppose most of us will always want more an hour because each pay rise becomes the norm and the more we get the more we need!

[me283]

Originally Posted by punky

Its a balance that needs to be struck. If you force employers to pay too much, it raises costs, and means they hire less staff. It also inhibits growth. What people forget is that when employers do well, they need more staff, more management staff, etc, so employees benefit too. That's why the minimum wage has to be as low as realistically possible.

Most employers know that you don't get the best out of employers (meaning the company suffers all round) by paying them peanuts, so if the company can afford to pay you more, and you deserve it, then most people normally will.

Very true. Also, some businesses would struggle to pay more, possibly even going bust.

[Chris W]

the wage increase has meant i have just had to cut my weekly hours for my staff from 88 to 84... yes so they get higher hourly wages, but due to business demands, they are not actually taking home any more money at the end of the week.

[marky]

Originally Posted by Chris W

the wage increase has meant i have just had to cut my weekly hours for my staff from 88 to 84... yes so they get higher hourly wages, but due to business demands, they are not actually taking home any more money at the end of the week.

I hope thats total hours combined for all the staff