That's EXACTLY it! People will continue to demand and demand, and believe that they are entitled to everything that everyone else has. This appears to be current human nature, certainly in the UK, and it needs to stop. It might well be possible to pay everybody a minimum wage of £50 an hour if there were a seriously drastic change in money management throughout the country, but it's not very likely is it? We need to be realistic here, after all.
I've acknowledged that it is fortunate that we have one. And this isn't about me complaining about needing more money. I'm middle class, have a good education and good prospects, the minimum wage doesn't particularaly affect me. So why should I care? Well, for the same reason I care about the situations you've mentioned in other countries. The creation a fairer more equal society, with less greed and with less poverty is a goal I think worth figthing for. This is a universal. And to argue for better rights and pay for workers in this country, is not at odds with campaigning for the end of sweat shop labour and for fairer trade rules in the developing world....
Well I have to say I'm not ashamed in getting my JSA. I live on my own and thus am responsible for all bills and food costs etc. I believe that I am entitled to enough to keep myself alive to a reasonable standard whilst I try and find work (difficult at the moment due to injury). I paid £200/month taxes last year (aged 17!) and I complained about all the other kids my age who were sat round doing nothing and being given a portion of my tax money to do so, but after I got made redundant, I began to see that actually, living is expensive, and that people should be given basic monetary support. The minimum wage is all well and good, but it can still be difficult to make ends meet. When my finger heals, I hope to start some part-time bar work at minimum wage. This will only give me 6 hours a week, which works out as less that I would get from my JSA (£30/week versus £45). I have been unable to find other work and am having difficulty getting the job I want due to most of the companies I apply to wanting degrees. If I start work, I will lose a huge chunk of my JSA, so where's the incentive, when I could be getting more koney for doing nothing? In my opinion, the minimum wage needs to rise by a couple of pounds, as it will make all the difference.
And you are totally respected for your views and opinions Dude! I think my point still remains however, but this is part of what makes life so complex, is it not? Finding the common ground between opinions, ideas, and possibilities. Rock on!
If there were two workers being paid in...bread, let's say. Two workers being paid in bread. One of them gets one slice of bread a day. The other gets five. Does the one who gets five have no right to complain because the worker under him only gets one, even though five slices of bread still isn't enough? For what it's worth, I acknowledge that other countries have it worse. In Poland, the minimum wage is bad, jobs are hard to find, and there's a lawy that states that an employer must give a temp worker a permanent job after a certain time. They get around this by sacking workers just before that time comes up. This is why there's been such a large number of Polish workers coming over here since that EU agreement. In the UK, there is a similar law. I think it's after a year and a half. They don't sack workers to get around it though. In two and a half years at the same place, I've switched agency three times, and will probably switch to the fourth in a matter of months. The law states that a worker has to be working at the same company for a given time straight - that means no sacking and coming back, no days where they're laid off, and no switching agencies. If either of these three happen, the counter goes back to day one. Blatant exploitation of a loophole, one that will probably keep thousands of people under a minimum wage job where they have no union and could be sacked practically any day with no notice whatsoever when they deserve something more. We get more bread than our Polish brothers, yes. But the bread is still stale, and there's still no jam. And some bastard made toast before us, and now there are little black bits in the butter.
There's no need to be ashamed about claiming. You need support whilst looking for work, simple as that.
This is a very good argument for raising the minimum wage. It's ludicrous that in some cases it pays to not work. Of course we should help those who fall on hard times, we never know when we may need that help ourselves. Those who do work should be able to expect a full-time wage to actually keep them out of poverty. You could hardly call complaining about a minimum wage which is below the poverty line being greedy!
Mikeyben did state that he was only finding a part time job, of course this isn't going to be paying out that much. If he went for a full-time job, like most people have to work to survive, then he'd be earning well over the £90 fornightly that he receives from the government.
This is true. Sadly, the full time jobs I can do are limited by the fact that I have a long-term knee injury and the skills I have (I'm a computer buff but not much good at anything else) and I am having difficulty getting one due to a lack of degree even though I'm at least as able (if not more) than most degree level applicants and I have 2 years industry experience (despite being only 18). This aside, Nay's point is completely valid. That job is the only one I can do in my area due to my circumstances but for some other people, this will not be the case and they should be able to earn more than the £45/week you get from Jobseekers and so it is paying to work.
That's the problem with jobs these days, you need some sort of paperwork to do anything. Whether it's a degree or an SIA licence for security or a CIS/CSCS card for labouring work etc etc. Tis a bit silly really.
Aye aye. There are some cases where people are discouraged from going to work (single mothers for instance) because the amount they would get extra from working is teeny compared to what they can get in benefits from not working...
It's not something that they can rely on forever though, unless they just become breeding machines. Apparently it is much more difficult to find work if you've been out of it for so many years. There's the future to think about too. We may not even have a state pension in years to come. Who are they planning to rely on then? I believe it's better to prepare yourself by working than to end up in squalor in the years when we'll need the most support.
Five british pounds equals 10 U.S dollars plus i did not add the 60 cent . belief me mininum in the US is not $10.70 cents regardless of the age.
Another argument for raising the minimum wage to a decent level? Higher wages paid by businesses means more revenue in taxes to cover pensions. How about a maximum wage, or a super-high tax band of 90% for those earning obscenely over the top wages?
Another thing I despise about this country, the tax bands. Like if you work too much overtime, you could end up losing money you've earnt. Sick... Luckily, I don't intend to stay in this country and contribute for longer than I have to. I don't see why we should have to pay more taxes to fund those who have never contributed in their lifetime, especially when the state pension is the same for everybody. Slightly unfair don't you think, considering some people would have worked and others would have stayed at home on their asses.
is that possible? I thought if you break into a higher tax band the higher rate will only apply to the amount earnt above the limit, not the whole amount. I'm not sure though... Edit: And... are you suggesting we get rid of the state pension altogether?
No not at all. I think the state pension is a great idea, but I think there should also be bands involved (e.g however much you contributed during your working life). Just so it works out a little fairer. Everybody should be entitled to the state pension, but if you've never worked a day in your life then why should you recieve the same amount as somebody who had worked for 50 years? Same as somebody who emigrated and didn't contribute and then returned to retire. Of course, most people who have worked will have sorted out their own pensions etc, but I think it should be taken into account.
what gets me is inflation does even remotely stay with minimum wage . i give you an idea . in the U.S a muscle car used be brand new in the $4.000 range in the 60s early 70s minium wage was around a dollar something to $2.25 how do even come close when the cheapest vehicles of the same type are $30.000. im just using this as a sample .. homes that sold for 40/70.000 are now $350.000 a meal Mcdee is $5.00+ if you work 1 full hour you might get to eat. ! .
what gets me is inflation does even remotely stay up with minimum wage . i give you an idea . in the U.S a muscle car used be brand new in the $4.000 range in the 60s early 70s minium wage was around a dollar something to $2.25 how do even come close when the cheapest vehicles of the same type are $30.000. im just using this as a sample .. homes that sold for 40/70.000 are now $350.000 ..A meal Mcdee is $5.00+ if you work 1 full hour you might get to eat. ! .
