why do people moan about minimum wage

iinvestor

I hear a lot about minimum wage jobs you can't afford to live a decent life. So they stay on benefits.


But minimum wage is NOT forever


When you start in a new firm/ industry you have to prove yourself. After that you will start moving up the ladder.


Even if you have no qualifications minimum wage jobs gives you the chance to get your foot through the door. Once your in, qualifications are secondary (unless technical industry) to common sense and handwork.

You will be first to know about vacancy in other departments, because you will have been networking.


And if their isn't a vacancy, then at least you have experience in that industry and you can go and work for their competitors. And if you prove yourself to be indispensable, then your boss will do everything in his power to make you happy.

Whereas benefits will stay the same or be cut. The only way from minimum wage is up!

Radiantsoul

Everyone moans about their income.

westv

Presumably the OP started off on minimum wage and has worked up.

chucknorris

I can't see anything bad about the minimum wage, however perhaps it could go further with for example a london weighting added (or does it already have one?)

Running_Horse

I started on 0.65p an hour, then £1 an hour, then £2, then £3, and so on. That was how semi-skilled young people got on back then. Threaten to resign once your skill level had reached a certain point.

It was really depressing in the 80s looking for jobs and they were all £2 an hour or less.

Although like America there is now a stigma attached, I think of the minimum wage as one of the great achievements of New Labour.

ILW

I fail to see increasing minimum wage to say £10.00 ph would be the disaster that many think. Most of the jobs affected are not facing competition from abroad and it would reduce the amount of top up benefit being paid.

lostinrates

chucknorris wrote: »

I can't see anything bad about the minimum wage, however perhaps it could go further with for example a london weighting added (or does it already have one?)

While I am not against minimum wage I have seen some down points. I kno people who now work SE without the benefit of rights of employment whose jobs would essentially be the same but better paid and with benefits i they were employed. I also see the cash in hand system benefiting.

chewmylegoff

ILW wrote: »

I fail to see increasing minimum wage to say £10.00 ph would be the disaster that many think. Most of the jobs affected are not facing competition from abroad and it would reduce the amount of top up benefit being paid.

i have no idea whether it would be a disaster or not, but i can't really see what the justification for increasing everyone's salary to £20kpa would be.

Old_Slaphead

ILW wrote: »

I fail to see increasing minimum wage to say £10.00 ph would be the disaster that many think. Most of the jobs affected are not facing competition from abroad and it would reduce the amount of top up benefit being paid.

What's the point?

It would just push differentials up, then tax then inflation would increase and then we'd be back to square 1.

Anyway, £5.93/hour is not a bad rate round here.

PasturesNew

I bet the OP lives in a city, probably has a degree and a career path. Some people are trapped in MW jobs, there's no promotion and they're not near a city.

For people with kids they're laughing all the way to the bank though as they get theirs topped up.

ILW

Old_Slaphead wrote: »

What's the point?

It would just push differentials up, then tax then inflation would increase and then we'd be back to square 1.

Anyway, £5.93/hour is not a bad rate round here.

Can you afford to rent a flat on that income?