30's/40's/50's on minimum wage?

paddedjohn

gadgetmind wrote: »

Nice rant but let's look at the facts.

Recent immigrants to UK 'make net contribution'

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-24813467

"The study by University College London said recent immigrants were less likely to claim benefits and live in social housing than people born in Britain."

No one has said any different, the simple fact of the matter is that the more people wanting work drives down wages so therefore uncontrolled immigration allows more workers to enter the UK thus having more job seekers per job so the employers can more or less name their price. The OP never started this thread in a racist tone, that was suggested by the second poster, all the op said was that immigration (more workers seeking work) is helping to drive down wages.
As soon as you mention immigrants on this site you get accused of being racist.

John1993_2

dandelionclock30 wrote: »

Capability?, more like not everyone has the opportunity to progress up the career ladder.Also not everyone is prepared to be a total bottom kisser either.

It's easy enough to progress without being a "bottom kisser". You could try, for example, being good at your job.

I know, I know, why should you have to be?..

gadgetmind

paddedjohn wrote: »

As soon as you mention immigrants on this site you get accused of being racist.

So why not stop mentioning them?

Just a thought.

marybelle01

falko89 wrote: »

And as for motivation there is a psychological thing going on here I think, ..... I'd jump at the chance.

Really? So how are the driving lessons going? The Open University course to gain qualifications you don't have? Moving to Belfast where you said there were more jobs? Or England I believe was also mentioned? Where is the motivation to change your situation? It seems all you have motivation for is blaming everyone else for your situation. It may not be your fault you are where you are, but it certainly nobody else's either.

Do you honestly think for one minute that if there had never been a migrant enter the UK ever, things would be any different for you? The structure of the UK economy has changed, just as the structure of the world economy has changed, over the past few decades. That would have happened anyway. The fact that consumers would prefer to pay less for the goods and services they buy, regardless of income, which is actually a significant factor in wage calculations, would have happened anyway. Like it or not, high wages for goods and services simply makes them more expensive and therefore uncompetitive. So going down that road would have meant fewer jobs, not more, because people would but their goods and services from abroad - many already do.

If you want to overthrow capitalism, be my guest and have at it. But if not, then in a capitalist society the only way to improve your lot is to meet the demand for higher skills, more flexibility, and make your own luck. There are specific skill shortages in the UK. They are all in positions that require education, and specific skill sets. There is no shortage of people without either. There never will be. But nothing says you have to be one of them. If you don't like your life, change it, but don't expect someone or something else to do it, and don't blame others if you won't.

dawyldthing

i'm in my 20s and originally was training to be a teacher. Now I'm on 7 quid an hour and couldn't be happier. I go home and don't take work with me. I'm not worrying when not in work about what I need to do the following day. I work weekends most weeks but get a few days off in the week to do as I please and have nothing work wise occupying my time. I'm not really accountable to someone and my boss is pretty flexible to a degree and am mostly let on to get on with my job. I've been asked many many times if i'd want to go back to teaching and I can say I honestly don't think I would after being on the go from 7am until 10pm many many times, worrying and stressing about planning, assessment and everything inbetween. My life is now pretty stress free and i'd be happy with it for some while yet.

I always think money isn't the be all to end all. As long as my bills are paid and I have some money to go out then i'm happy

TrickyWicky

falko89 wrote: »

Now suppose when we open the flood gates again to Romania, and out of Romania came the finest crop of doctors, managers, professionals what would happen?

Funny you mention that falko. I know a lot of polish people.

They're absolutely dreading the Romainians and Bulgarians coming here.

When the Poles start complaining about the 'foreigners' coming here you know we're in trouble.

sulphate

There are lots of reasons why someone would 'still' be on the national minimum wage.. they might genuinely like their job and can afford to stay at that level so don't see the need to look for a higher paid one, they may be caring for dependents and retail work was the only part time job they could find, they may have been made redundant from a higher paid role and needed to work so took the first job available to them, they may have poor interview skills and found it impossible to move up the ladder. Etc etc.

I never judge people for what they may or may not earn.

Plenty of people have the opportunity to go to university but may decide it's not for them, if everyone had degrees we'd have too many over qualified people looking for jobs, there aren't enough graduate jobs anyway.

I earn just under £22k at the moment but i enjoyed my previous job - when I was on £16k - much more and would go back there like a shot if we could afford it/have a mortgage with it.

PasturesNew

dawyldthing wrote: »

i'm in my 20s and originally was training to be a teacher. Now I'm on 7 quid an hour and couldn't be happier.

In some parts of the UK, it's possible to pay (low) rent and bills and do stuff .... but how'd you feel if rent went up by 50% and you were still doing that in 30 years' time when all your old mates had got married/moved away and you couldn't participate in social activities any more?

Everything's great when you're in your 20s.

PasturesNew

sulphate wrote: »

I earn ... if we

Aside from the mathematics, there's one elephant in that room. You moved from "I" to "we". "We" is easier to live on low wages as there is 2x"I".

Life's grim when it's an "I".

BurnleyBob

gadgetmind wrote: »

Nice rant but let's look at the facts.

Recent immigrants to UK 'make net contribution'

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-24813467

"The study by University College London said recent immigrants were less likely to claim benefits and live in social housing than people born in Britain."

It was hardly a rant. The figures I quoted are official figures.

Adding however many unskilled or unemployed Romanians and Bulgarians who will choose to come to Britain to the already huge surplus in situ is a recipe for depressing wages further which will be fab news for employers. Ditto for home owners and rentiers who'll also profit. Those rubbing their hands most gleefully though will be private bankers, those perennial baddies and kings of the debt-based monetary system.

Pocketing a month's worth of Child Benefit for three sprogs equates to more than the total monthly minimum wage in both those countries. It's logical to assume that their citizens who are armed with lots of sprogs and are suffering hardship at home will be tempted to decamp to Blighty, and who could blame them?