The government is increasing the minimum wage to £5.35 on the 1st of October is this enough?
Surely a more realistic wage would in the region of £8.00 - £10.00 per hour.
The CBI wants to halt increases as they say it is bad for business, but it's only bad for the sweat shop business and the UK wants to avaoid this kind of industry.
Surely the minimum wage is too low!
2006-09-30 10:51:17 · 30 answers · asked by thebigtombs 5 in Politics & Government ➔ Law & Ethics
Just thought I'd add that the average hourly rate my company pays is £16.57.
We only employ sessional staff and use sub-contractors, but with extra qualifications staff can earn up to £31.80 with additional payments for extra's like First Aid qualified, etc.
We have also agreed to increase wages by a further 3% on 6th of April 2007, 5% on 1st April 2008 and a further 3% on 1st March 2009. Further increases are expected to range between 3% and 7% per annum.
2006-09-30 11:05:21 · update #1
FAO: brittonsm26
I understand economics, as I studied the subject and have been in business for four years, I have been bermused by the Bank of England putting up Interest rates, when all the economic data suggests they shouldn't do so, and at other times, I have predicted rate increases/decreases and jobless figures. I am in-touch with the economics of the UK.
2006-09-30 11:28:20 · update #2
it's not that it's to low it's that it should be for 18 upwards. i'm trying to put myself through uni and most part time jobs won't pay you this. i'm lucky in that my uni finds all the jobs in the area that will pay minimum wage to us poor students. people seem to think we live off our parents, well my family can't afford it so i don't.
2006-09-30 20:51:48 · answer #1 · answered by s f 3 · 1⤊ 0⤋
the problem is that the areas that low paid people work in tend to be the unskilled jobs where their is a high turn over of staff. Unfortunately you have to stick at a low wage to get experience and then start earning the real money. However with the new laws the words 'experienced person wanted' Will be banned so we'll all have to look harder and read between the lines more to get these jobs.
The short answer is no it's not enough to live on but that's the way it's gonna stay.
2006-09-30 10:54:59 · answer #2 · answered by Heather 5 · 3⤊ 2⤋
Yes. The minimum wage is too low. A more realistic and fair wage should be about £6.50 per hour.
Employers who make huge profits on their goods from paying low wages should also be forced by law to pay their workers a percentage of the profits. CEO's who are greedy scum should have their salaries capped with more money being shared across the workforce. I doubt any of this will happen, the rich get richer and the poor get dumped on. Same as it ever was.
2006-09-30 23:35:16 · answer #3 · answered by Anonymous · 2⤊ 0⤋
I think you are right. If the country doesn't care enough about its people to ensure they are fed and clothed, then why have a border at all? What pride is there in a country where the corporations are protected and encouraged to suck the life out of people for short term profits in the name of 'competition'? The minimum wage is the deciding factor between groupthink and protecting the rights of the individual. You either believe the individual is more important than majority mobs, or you don't. No law can protect the individual in a monetary society if the individual isn't able to secure basic needs.
2006-09-30 10:57:02 · answer #4 · answered by auntiegrav 6 · 1⤊ 1⤋
Thats more than enough to live on, but then since the min wage will go so will costs like food, clothes (fuel again) and it will become a viscious circle!!! £8-£10 is no feasbile and if everyone got paid that much, costs would infact go higher, and taxes would double, the economy would crash and the pound will become weak!! I am on around £7 odd an hour and that is sufficient. I am thankful for any cash i get.
2006-09-30 10:55:48 · answer #5 · answered by Mr Y! Answers 3 · 2⤊ 1⤋
No the new increased minimum wage would still not be enough to live on. Have you seen how prices are creeping up on even the simplest things now like cereals and bread? The scary thing for me is I am on £6.75ph and its going to be going down to £6.00ph very soon to match other employees wages!
2006-09-30 11:16:37 · answer #6 · answered by mistickle17 5 · 1⤊ 0⤋
Enough to survive on, yes, but to provide a decent quality standard of living? Never. £5.35 an hour would get you a room in some kind of fility rat-infested slum in one of britain's inner cities and allow you to shop at Tesco with all the 'no frills own label' products, but after you've paid any council tax, utility bills and other costs, you'd have nothing left to enjoy yourself - work, sleep, work, sleep. To live comfortably in the UK would require at least double that figure.
2006-10-01 03:47:06 · answer #7 · answered by Mental Mickey 6 · 1⤊ 0⤋
You are correct. But given the Government's insatiable appetite for taxation, there is probably no alternative.
Small businesses are largely up against the wall and having to cheat on their taxes to survive. Large businesses are screwing their employees and their shareholders to pay £100 million bonuses to their CEOs.
Life is scarcely worth living unless you played the real estate lottery over the 80s and 90s.
Pity the poor graduates and school leavers of today.
2006-09-30 10:56:08 · answer #8 · answered by Anonymous · 5⤊ 0⤋
Its not too low - quite simply some people don't deserve more than this as they have little skills and are doing jobs that anyone could do. You could live on this quite easily but you may not be able to afford all of lifes luxuries - there has to be an incentive for people to improve skills and make progress in their lives.
£8 or even £10 is ludicrous as it would cause massive inflation and devalue the wage for those of us that have spent the time improving ourselves to get a higher wage. It would also start to make the 75p minimum wage in newer european companies look a lot more appealing to companies.
Oh and women don't HAVE to buy makeup and both guys toiletries/cosmetics and clothes are more expensive than womens if you compare on a like for like basis.
2006-09-30 13:32:33 · answer #9 · answered by snife 2 · 1⤊ 3⤋
Yes, it is too low - but remember we've only had the minimum wage for a few years, so it needs to get up to a realistic level without frightening the horses.
Also - we might lose it altogether if the Tories get back in next time.
2006-09-30 10:54:49 · answer #10 · answered by gellhorn 3 · 3⤊ 1⤋