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Minimum Wage Rethink

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jmo On April 29, 2021
Beruset af Julebryg





Yorkshire, United Kingdom
#1New Post! Mar 07, 2011 @ 12:41:59
There have been three private members bills which are intent on revising the National Minimum Wage. Now none of the three are likely to go through but it is interesting that there is a small pocket of support in Westminster to change it.

Rather than just completely get rid of it (as was previously the intention) a few back bench tories are creating plans which include opt-outs for small businesses, certain types of work and people who live in high-unemployment areas.

I'm fairly left-leaning so I disagree with this in its entirety, but It's quite an interesting debate.

Should small businesses be legally allowed to employ people at less than the minimum wage if both the employee and employer agree to it?
sister_of_mercy On March 11, 2015




London, United Kingdom
#2New Post! Mar 07, 2011 @ 12:48:41
No. The minimum wage protects workers and that should be the main priority, however desperate the employee may be. If business can't afford to give their workers the minimum wage then they shouldn't really be in the trade to begin with, it's not that much money if you are actually successful.
plebian_angel On April 25, 2012
Intergalactic hussy





a great future,
#3New Post! Mar 07, 2011 @ 13:00:29
@sister_of_mercy Said

No. The minimum wage protects workers and that should be the main priority, however desperate the employee may be. If business can't afford to give their workers the minimum wage then they shouldn't really be in the trade to begin with, it's not that much money if you are actually successful.



Agreed. Without the protection of minimum wage, some business may pay an unfair wage to people especially in these hard economic times.

In the US, the invidual states can set minimum wage different to the federal level as long as it is not below federal levels, which makes sense as different areas have higher cost of living.
sister_of_mercy On March 11, 2015




London, United Kingdom
#4New Post! Mar 07, 2011 @ 13:03:01
@plebian_angel Said

Agreed. Without the protection of minimum wage, some business may pay an unfair wage to people especially in these hard economic times.

In the US, the invidual states can set minimum wage different to the federal level as long as it is not below federal levels, which makes sense as different areas have higher cost of living.


That's a good idea. In the UK the minimum wage is higher for London but that's about it. It would make more sense for it to be more representative, but then the UK isn't as big as the US so I doubt there would be as much of a marked difference.
davii On January 14, 2013
I'm Awesome


Deleted



London, United Kingdom
#5New Post! Mar 07, 2011 @ 13:12:28
Doing this could make the benefits trap worst.

Plus, are immigrants be more likely to the ones agreeing to accept jobs offering less than minimum wage?
jmo On April 29, 2021
Beruset af Julebryg





Yorkshire, United Kingdom
#6New Post! Mar 07, 2011 @ 13:13:31
@davii Said

Doing this could make the benefits trap worst.



That's what I was thinking. Considering in a lot of cases seeking minimum wage employment already makes little difference to income reducing minimum wage could make it worse.
plebian_angel On April 25, 2012
Intergalactic hussy





a great future,
#7New Post! Mar 07, 2011 @ 13:20:01
Personally I don't know many people who could live off minimum wage. yeah you can do it if you don't live alone, but if you want your own place, even an efficiency, you have to be making more than 40 hours a week at minimum wage.
Even here McDonalds starts off at something like $8/hr. WI (and federal) mininum wage is $7.25/hr. If you work FT at that, you make just above the poverty level. And most minimum wage jobs are not FT.

https://www.minimum-wage.org/states.asp?state=Wisconsin

I'm not sure about UK incomes so wont' touch that. I really think minimum wage is a good thing as it keeps businesses accountable for what they pay.
Rehabilitation_Please On May 20, 2016
Has Tiger Blood





Peterborough, United Kingdom
#8New Post! Mar 07, 2011 @ 14:49:58
The problem I would find is I have no academic qualifications to speak of, which means if they lower or even remove the minimum wage I am going to be financially screwed or I will have to re-evaluate my skill set...Which means maybe going back into education at almost 28 years old, just to get a competetive wage/salary.
plebian_angel On April 25, 2012
Intergalactic hussy





a great future,
#9New Post! Mar 07, 2011 @ 15:07:18
@Rehabilitation_Please Said

The problem I would find is I have no academic qualifications to speak of, which means if they lower or even remove the minimum wage I am going to be financially screwed or I will have to re-evaluate my skill set...Which means maybe going back into education at almost 28 years old, just to get a competetive wage/salary.



Having no minimum wage could also cause those jobs to pay lower. Say taht most minimum wage jobs cut their pay in half..that would mean other companies that do pay competetively could say hey we can pay half of what we do now also.
The job market is set up for employers right now. Not the employees. There are far more potential workers than jobs.
treebee On April 13, 2015
Government Hooker

Moderator




London, United Kingdom
#10New Post! Mar 07, 2011 @ 15:24:53
I feel the minimum wage is a safety net which is needed. I do feel for small businesses.

The thing is it wont be the small businesses who exploit it. Really large companies are always pulling stunts, threatening redundancies if people do not take a pay cut and tbh if you owe money you could find yourself in a very bad position so you need some level of protection.
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