Ed Milliband promotes living wage as labours next big thing

nomoreboomandbust

Red Ed is an idiot of the highest order, if his party hadn't allowed the country to be flooded by millions of immigrants (specially from Eastern Europe)providing cheap labour then we might not be in this position.

I am not saying immigration is solely to blame for the downward pressure on wages but it surely must be a factor.

Conrad

Not once have I seen a post in the mortgage section along the lines of"can someone direct me to a slightly more costly mortgage that pays it's staff well"?

My Brother, a landcscape gardener finds many customers are very greedy and do all they can to part with as little as poss, and that includes left wing teacher types. One of them recently said on recieveing his quote "it's only gardening".

I believe many on here who claim to want wage and hence cost rises, are duplicitous in the extreme when it comes to thier own shopping behaviours

exarmydreamer

There are always going to be different levels of work skills, (those are the bottom and those at the top) earning different grades of wages. The idea of a minimum wage is that is should be enough to live on.

An increase in minimum wage would mean that goods exported would rise in price due to wage inflation. This in turn would mean less income to the shareholders and therefore effect the overall wealth of the company and then country.

This very simple way of looking at it, shows that it is all down to profit. This is how China and Japan used cheap workers to produce goods at a cheap price for the West.

No one want's to pay more than they have to for goods produced or services received, (no matter how much the receiver earns). Although no one want's to subsidize the lower skilled in society by upping their income with benefits, (including Child Benefit) via the tax system either.

I full appreciate the need for Capitalism in that companies need to make a profit and the country needs to recover but I also acknowledge that everyone who works or is disabled (and needs support),deserves a decent life for themselves and their families.

Intoodeep

There is only one word required in the 'discussion' of a 'living' wage and any one else with a grip on accounts and payroll will know it and that word is

differentials

Graham_Devon

exarmydreamer wrote: »

An increase in minimum wage would mean that goods exported would rise in price due to wage inflation. This in turn would mean less income to the shareholders and therefore effect the overall wealth of the company and then country.

This policy isn't about increasing the minimum wage....It's about naming and shaming those who don't pay above a wage that labour themselves implemented.

Labour know it can't really happen, which is why they won't make it compulsory, but can sit on the sidelines suggesting they are holier than business.

A "living wage" is only creeping higher because we keep subsidising the very things people need to live. Housing (benefits, stimulus), Engery, Buses etc. if there were no subsidies, these things would have to fall to realistic prices.

ILW

Most minimum wage jobs are in sectors such as catering, care, hospitality and retail and are not involved in export markets.

Fella

ruggedtoast wrote: »

Rachel Reeves.

Would.



... vote for her.

She doesnt quite reach the sublime levels of Merryn, but she's not far off.


HPC Angel

http://www.sexymp.co.uk/

Conrad

exarmydreamer wrote: »

I full appreciate the need for Capitalism in that companies need to make a profit

Without the requisite profit, no saver would bother investing in ISA's or pensions that in turn own the FTSE companies.

So there would be no expansion, no new companies as there would be no reason to invest in them.

If you deny this, ask yourself the question >> why would I bother risking my cash savings on shares / pensions if the return was insufficient?

ALL YOU FOLK CLAIMING THEY ARE HAPPY TO PAY MORE:

Presumably you volunteer extra cash to every lower paid worker you encounter / you agree to pay local trades more than the price they will accept?

grizzly1911

The minimum wage is just that. The bottom of the differentiated pile.

It has become the wage for many, simply the minimum wage many employers can get away with legally. Many still pay under it.

The fact that so many are desperate to get it speaks volumes about the economy of this country.

It may be acceptable for the local farm shop or very basic manual jobs to pay it, for large corporates to rely on it, or subcontracted labour or direct labour into Governement services is a whole different ball game.

Apparently Millie is happy with the idea because a number of big corporates are on board.

They main benefit will be a lower welfare bill so I doubt the lucky recipients, in many cases, will notice much difference.

It equates to (40 hr week/not London) ~ £1050 before pension payments which isn't exactly luxury in this expensive country. £ ~ 20 a week or a round of G & Ts for LM.

Conrad

ILW wrote: »

Most minimum wage jobs are in sectors such as catering, care, hospitality and retail and are not involved in export markets.

The uprise in costs would affect all firms. Exporters employ cleaners, cooks and so on and each worker in the firm would see thier personal bills rise anyway, so in turn they would want higher wages.


You have to pursuade consumers to pay more. Shall we start a a site aimed at combating all this money saving?

Do you go out your way to pay more for printer ink / tyres / clothes etc? I mean all the time.