Real living wage to rise to at least £12 an hour – here's what you need to know

MSE_Molly_G

Over 460,000 workers in the UK are set to see their hourly pay rise by 10% due to an increase in the 'real living wage'; a voluntary employers' pay scheme based on the cost of living.

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Real living wage to rise to at least £12 an hour – here's what you need to know

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elsien

How many people though actually get the real minimum wage as opposed to the legal minimum wage?

 

sammyjammy

I would imagine its somewhere around the 460,000 quoted!

elsien

Yes, meant to say in comparison to the number of people on minimum wage. 

sammyjammy

elsien said:

Yes, meant to say in comparison to the number of people on minimum wage. 

Yeah good point, tiny I expect, the rate we are going it will be more and more of us. I am a civil servant and due to minimum wage rising faster than anything else the two admin grades salary differs by £200!

Race  to the bottom.

LightFlare

Agree - whilst I somewhat agree with increasing minimum and living wage rates, it does have the effect of dragging the “value” of higher grades down since they aren’t benefiting from the same magnitude of uplift

I have worked hard over the years to progress in my profession, but am gradually seing my additional value eroded away. It will get to the stage where people say “why bother”

stu12345_2

had the same problem in an older job of mines.used to get about £5 an hour more than min pay cos it was an undesirable job.then min wage jobs started getting 70p an hour increases yearly. now my old job didn't get those increases.employer said they can't afford those rises.
now my old job pays about £2 an hour above min wage and employer is wondering why they can't attract new staff.
the gap is going to get worse.
it seems an easier choice selling sweets in a sweet shop for min wage..than take my old job with its stress and horrible hours for a small higher rated pay.

DigSunPap

I don't think a 10% pay rise on minimum wage workers is going to help them when the inflation rate has been so high for so long now

cockshootflyer

I run a small business with 8 employees, average annual earnings is between £26k and £36k, unskilled non trades work, we work hours required to satisfy customers, all employees happy with earnings, some have been with me for more than 12yrs, i was approached by one today who queried his hourly rate of £10.78p. The lowest rate we pay for new starters.

I said he could have £12/hr and work the same hours as those working for companies affiliated to The Living Wage Foundation if he could afford the drop in annual earnings that would result.
These headline grabbing figures do the average hourly paid worker a massive injustice, its gross earnings that matter not the hourly rate, if you’re working 35hrs per week your earning £21,840/yr, try living on that

Grumpy_chap

cockshootflyer said:

I run a small business with 8 employees, average annual earnings is between £26k and £36k, unskilled non trades work, we work hours required to satisfy customers, all employees happy with earnings, some have been with me for more than 12yrs, i was approached by one today who queried his hourly rate of £10.78p. The lowest rate we pay for new starters.

I said he could have £12/hr and work the same hours as those working for companies affiliated to The Living Wage Foundation if he could afford the drop in annual earnings that would result.
These headline grabbing figures do the average hourly paid worker a massive injustice, its gross earnings that matter not the hourly rate, if you’re working 35hrs per week your earning £21,840/yr, try living on that

I thought part of the rationale behind the NMW and Real Living Wage rates was that individuals would be able to earn a better annual salary without having to work an excessive number of hours per week.

penners324

cockshootflyer said:

I run a small business with 8 employees, average annual earnings is between £26k and £36k, unskilled non trades work, we work hours required to satisfy customers, all employees happy with earnings, some have been with me for more than 12yrs, i was approached by one today who queried his hourly rate of £10.78p. The lowest rate we pay for new starters.

I said he could have £12/hr and work the same hours as those working for companies affiliated to The Living Wage Foundation if he could afford the drop in annual earnings that would result.
These headline grabbing figures do the average hourly paid worker a massive injustice, its gross earnings that matter not the hourly rate, if you’re working 35hrs per week your earning £21,840/yr, try living on that

So you wouldn't be able to fulfil all those orders you have? Under staffed and over worked by the sound of it