End of the minimum wage?

Miggie

[FONT=&quot]This isn't hitting the news hard yet:

(I don't understand how it can be on it's SECOND reading, without it coming to the general populations' notice - does this mean that Libdems voted it through and that Labour couldn't be bothered to publicise it?!)

[/FONT]The Employment Opportunities Bill, which is being sponsored by Christopher Chope MP, is due to have it’s second reading today, Friday 17th June. The Bill will allow employees "the right" to opt out of the minimum wage.

The Bill preamble describes it as introducing 'more freedom, flexibility and opportunity for those seeking employment in the public and private sectors". Under its proposals the request to be paid below the minimum wage is made by the employee but both the employee and the employer sign the agreement. There is nothing in the Bill, which prevents employers indicating at interview that an applicant could be successful if they agreed to work for less than the minimum wage.

George Guy, Acting General Secretary of UCATT, said: "This Bill is a covert attack by the Conservatives, on the minimum wage. Their aim is to create a race to the bottom, where workers opt out of the minimum wage in a desperate attempt to undercut each other to secure work. This highlights the true nature of the Conservatives, soft on the bankers but tough on the workers."

SurreyBear

It's a private members' bill. A second reading is, in reality, the first reading (the Bill is presented first) and they are rarely voted on and pretty much never make it to the statute books. Just a chance for a MP to raise an issue.

scheming_gypsy

How can it be tough on the workers?

Under its proposals the request to be paid below the minimum wage is made by the employee

the word there is employEE, not employER. which means if you want to work somewhere but they can't afford / justify the extra staff on minimum wage, you can suggest that they pay you less.

Ignite

Pity I can't write and ask my MP to vote against this. Unfortunately I have this nasty Chope chappy as my MP. Needless to say, I didn't vote for him.

BTW, he was one of the MPs who had to pay back expenses.

Miggie

Thank you Surreybear, I didn't know this. Hopefully it will just fizzle out.

Scheming-gypsy - 'the word there is employEE, not employER. which means if you want to work somewhere but they can't afford / justify the extra staff on minimum wage, you can suggest that they pay you less.'

I don't think that it will be much of a choice for unemployed people looking for work.

How about: employer: you can have the job if you offer to take £4 an hour, it's all we can afford to pay you.
prospective employee: sorry I can't live on that
jobcentre staff to prospective employee - you turned down a job so no jsa/benefits for you.

employer: you can have the job at 4 gbp an hour
prospective employee: ok, I'll have to get housing benefit, etc to be able to support me/my family but I'll take the job
benefits staff to prospective employee - you agreed this pay, so you aren't entitled to anything....

or maybe prospective employee does get benefits to bring him/her up to a living wage.

The problem in paying someone so little that they are dependent on benefits just means that our taxes go straight into the employers' pockets - we the tax payer make up the shortfall.

Thanks for coming back on this. I'm off to work now (not min wage yet thank goodness:))

scheming_gypsy

no scenario will ever make everybody happy; some people will be happy to work for it and get off the dole and some won't, if it means that unemployment goes down then it's a step in the right direction if not ideal...

scooby088

I for one will never go back to working for peanuts, and if this goes through then i can see more than 10 million unemployed and the country bankrupt. Well thats what we get for a government we didn't vote in. I will be writing to my MP to vote against this.

dmg24

scooby088 wrote: »

I for one will never go back to working for peanuts, and if this goes through then i can see more than 10 million unemployed and the country bankrupt. Well thats what we get for a government we didn't vote in. I will be writing to my MP to vote against this.

It amazes me that someone will happily claim JSA in the long term, yet turns their nose up at work that pays 'peanuts', even though that amount will still be at least four times what they currently receive!

Hammyman

scheming_gypsy wrote: »

How can it be tough on the workers?


the word there is employEE, not employER. which means if you want to work somewhere but they can't afford / justify the extra staff on minimum wage, you can suggest that they pay you less.

Because it goes like this:

Employer: We'll offer you the job if you're prepared to opt out of NMW.

Then one of two things happens:
1) They say they'll opt out and they get the job below NMW
2) They say they will not opt out and the employer offers it to someone else.

And I can't believe that any person in this country even entertains the idea that in 2011, it is acceptable to pay an adult under £6 an hour.

wantsajob

Already happens anyway. Called voluntary work, and work experience the job centre sends you on which employers abuse as a means to get free employees. This will make no difference whatsoever.

dmg24 wrote: »

It amazes me that someone will happily claim JSA in the long term, yet turns their nose up at work that pays 'peanuts', even though that amount will still be at least four times what they currently receive!

Forgetting all the other benefits of course. CTB, HB.

Will the Government make up the shortfall in WTC?

scheming_gypsy

Hammyman wrote: »

Because it goes like this:

Employer: We'll offer you the job if you're prepared to opt out of NMW.

Then one of two things happens:
1) They say they'll opt out and they get the job below NMW
2) They say they will not opt out and the employer offers it to someone else.

And I can't believe that any person in this country even entertains the idea that in 2011, it is acceptable to pay an adult under £6 an hour.

and now they'll give it to the Polish for 10 bob and a bag of sprouts for a days work.