A Living Wage

[mikey4444]

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-27981975

I heard John Sentamu being interviewed this morning on the Today program,
and I thought he made a lot of sense. Something needs to break this logjam of low wages, and it should start with the Government itself.

Paying a living wage in 2014 shouldn't be too hard surely ? Perhaps if we paid a living wage, we wouldn't need to waste money on benefits to those on the minimum wage ? It can't be right that somebody working 40-50 hours a week should still be able to claim benefits. All these benefits do is to subsidise greedy employers, and I don't think public money should be used for that.

[andrew1707]

I wonder what the Daily Mail readers will think of this?

I remember when Labour introduced the minimum wage... so many people predicted that British companies were going to fold in their hundreds because of the additional expense.

[AB Editor]

"It can't be right that somebody working 40-50 hours a week should still be able to claim benefits."

Or rather, shouldn't need to.

[mikey4444]

Yes...the minimum wage was going to make the sky fall in ! Introduced by Labour after the landslide victory of 1997. Opposed bitterly by the Tories at the time, who have now changed their minds and think its a good idea after all. This is just the sort of thing that Labour should be campaigning on...making a real difference to people lives.

[mikey4444]

Of course Ed....that is what I meant.

[mikey4444]

Since 1 October, 2013, the national minimum wage has been £6.31 an hour for adults aged 21 and over, and £5.03 for those aged 18 to 21.

I think that to be paid just £6.31 an hour in 2014 is a scandal.

[ummmm]

I don't know how anyone can live on the minimum wage.

[jomifl]

It is also a scandal that people on minimum wage pay income tax. How did bliar and el gordo overlook that?

[mikey4444]

Morning ummmm ! I don't think most do "live" on the minimum wage, they just sort-of exist. My niece is a Carer, looking after house-bound OAPs, and she is on minimum wage. To make matters worse, she doesn't even have 40 hours a week most weeks. Its a tough job, and not one I would want to do, but somebody has to. Millions of pounds are being given to these care companies every year by local Councils and I am not sure where the money goes. It certainly doesn't go to the workers, that is for sure. I repeat that to pay such slave wages in 2014 is a bl**dy disgrace!

[RATTER15]

I agree, I get little above minimum wage.

and mikey, most domiciliary carers are on zero hours contract, meaning that if they don't need you for a few days here and there, it just tough, you go without.

[mikey4444]

That is exactly the situation with my niece ratter, although she averages about 20-25 hours most weeks. When caring for old and infirm people was the direct responsibility of local Councils, they were employed under proper contracts. I think zero hours contracts should be outlawed. I can't pretend to know how we can achieve this but it should on the next agenda of any future Labour Government.

[jomifl]

Better off getting the minimum wage in France,

[mikey4444]

Perhaps jom but how many Brits speak French ?

[RATTER15]

Actually mikey, I looked into setting up a care agency once, I decided there was no money in it unless you go big! the care staff get nearly all the money, so unless you have a lot of staff there is little left over for directors and office staff etc.

The going rate for domiciliary care staff around here is £7.00 an hour. the problem with that is you may only be earning whilst attending a client for 15 minutes or a 1/2 an hour, you may then have to walk or drive for 10- 15 minutes or more to the next job. so in the course of a 12 hour shift, you may only get paid for 7-8 hours as you dont get paid for the time between clients.

[ummmm]

Do they have flat screen TV's, a new car, and two holidays a year?

[mikey4444]

Again ratter...exactly as my niece describes it. Slave labour and nothing else.

[DrFilth]

mikey there are still plenty who do not get the minimum wage , one down the road from me was working 10 hours a day being paid for around 40 a week, working six days a week

if you are sent for the job and refuse you are sanctioned if you blab about the hours you are out of a job

so you keep shtum and just put up with it


some get caught some don't

https://www.gov.uk/government/news/government-names-employers-who-fail-to-pay-minimum-wage

[mikey4444]

Then we need to do more naming and shaming then DrF ! I saw some report of this in the news recently, but it should headline news everywhere, not on some obscure website.

Greedy, exploitative employers in 2014 ?

Well, knock me over with a feather !

What Ratter has said at 09:53 this morning is even worse. It shouldn't beyond the skills of any Government, even a Tory one, to outlaw that sort of thing. The care industry is also largely un-unionised, which can't help. Its all a bl**dy disgrace !

[RATTER15]

Grrr, I hate unions, I would never belong to a union!! I saw unions bring the country to it knees in the 70s. If I'm not happy with my job I fight it myself or get another job! As an employer I would not acknowledge any union, if my employees went on strike I would sack them all or close down my business.

[DrFilth]

mikey it is going on all over , there is a shop in the town centre and she is paid till 4pm if the stock is not sold they lower the price and try pushing the sales

she served me at 4-12 pm which meant that she had missed her lift home so instead of getting home for 5pm she would get home at 6pm


they do not get any extra pay for staying to serve and the boss knows that she will miss her lift if she does not finish on time

[naomi24]

Perhaps if Labour is re-elected, they might remember Mr Miliband's pledge to re-introduce the 10p tax rate for low earners that Gordon Brown abolished. Fat lot of good introducing a minimum wage when it's given with one hand and taken away with the other!