I do a slightly specialised job that takes a year or two to master working in a very well known high street chain. All the stores are franchises, the ultimate owners are based offshore for tax reasons. The franchisee has to keep wages down in order to boost his cut....I have gone several years without a pay review and managed an 8% increase last year...I had to ask for yet another pay review this year as, despite that pay rise I was only 47p an hour ahead of the Minimum Wage...the boss was moaning his costs have gone up...so I said " Who do I complain too when in April next year when the Minimum Wage increases beyond my current wage ? "
But surely if you want a better economy, and most importantly, growth, then getting expendable cash into people's hands is one of the only ways to do it. it is important that any uplift isn't just there to cover essential outgoings but can go back to those businesses in the form of purchases. By raising wages for people of all ages you then have a mix of different priorities when it comes to spending, and in theory, you are able to stimulate the economy as a whole, rather than just helping people cover the already high outgoings of responsibility?
I understand and agree. However I won’t be paying 16yo’s that may or may not come good in their first year £12.50 an hour… I certainly won’t be able to get them to work regular shifts at weekends and during the holidays because their availability is limited.
Fine in theory, but if it makes a business unviable, then either less bods will be employed or the boss will close the business down. Just because you are paying your staff more, it doesn’t automatically mean that your sales volume will increase to compensate and additionally you may not be able to increase your prices dependent on demand or competition.
You may be right, but I don't see why it necessarily follows that illegal migration doesn't benefit our society.
One of my brothers works for them, specifically dealing with 'illegal' immigrants. He tells me the services have been run into the ground.
Minimum wage really isn't delivering what it was intended to do.
What an awful lot jammed in to the Labour Government’s first King’s Speech. I hope some might find this a helpful summary of some of the main legislation announcements - the whole text of the King’s Speech is on the link below (or just skip and go to TD;LR )
- Employment Rights Bill - bans zero -hour contracts. Sick pay, parental leave and protection from unfair dismissal available from day 1. Removal of lower earnings limit on Statutory Sick pay. Default flexible working hours from day 1. Establishment of Fair Work Agency to enforce workers rights. Removing minimum service levels in industrial action and restrictions on union activity.
- Planning and Infrastructure Bill to speed up process and invest in industry - new housing programme already announced with mandatory house building targets imposed.
- Tobacco and Vapes Bill phasing out smoking and tightening vaping regulation.
- Mental Health Bill to modernise Mental Health legislation improving how patients are cared
- Two child benefit cap to remain - (expect backbench revolt)
- VAT on private school fees ‘to fund 6,500 teachers’
- Palestine - Committed to 2 state solution (no change in policy)
- National Wealth Fund Bill - £7.3 billion fund to be establish for investment in projects that can deliver growth
- Budget Responsibility Bill to stop repeat of Liz Truss type ‘mini-budgets’ - must be subject to independent assessment.
- HS2 remains cancelled.
- Publicly owned bus companies set up by Council with operators to have a greater responsibility to provide services in eg rural areas.
- English Devolution Bill - new powers for local authorities to deliver local growth plans - more freedom for local authorities to deliver national policies by transferring existing power out of Westminister. (
)
- Cyber Security and Resilience Bill - expanding the security of digital services and critical infrastructure
- Hillsborough Law places a legal duty on public servants and authorities to tell truth, improving transparency and accountability where public services are being investigated .
- The Football Governance Bill - reintroduced (see FG Bill thread)
- Tobacco & Vapes Bill - Anyone born after 2009 barred from buying cigarettes and tougher regulations on the sale/marketing of vapes.
- House of Lords Hereditary Peers Bill Removal of the right for remaining hereditary peers to sit and vote in HoL.
- Passenger Railways Services (Public Ownership) Bill - first stages to renationalise railways - appointment of public-sector operator to be the default choice (not just when companies are failing). Train operators to transfer to public-sector operator as contracts expire.
- Railways Bill - in conjunction with above, management and service delivery to come under single public body. Great British Railways (GBR) - Ticketing system to be simplified, automatic compensation and digital pay-as-you-go services to be rolled out.
- Great British Energy Bill - Establish ‘Great British Energy’ a publicly-owned energy production company which will own, manage and produce clean power projects to ensure the UK meets its sustainability targets for energy production, distribution and storage by 2030.
- Water (Special Measures) Bill - to put water companies under special measures to clean up rivers, lakes and sea - tougher regulation on pollution and attract private investment to upgrade infrastructure. Bosses to face personal criminal liability for breaking the law (to end hiding behind corporate liability). Payment of Bonuses to be banned if environmental standards aren’t met. Tougher and independent scrutiny on sewage outlet.
- Border Security, Asylum and Immigration Bill - increasing powers of law enforcement to crack down on gangs including stop and search to investigate for involvement in organised immigration crime and imposing tougher penalties. Ending hotel use by clearing asylum backlog, fast-track returns for individuals coming from safe countries.
(Reducing voting age to 16 years does not feature at all in speech - unlikely to be enacted this session but will be raised as a debate at some point. No mention of dentistry or funding/restructuring NHS..
Full Speech here
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assets.publishing.service.gov.uk
TL;DR
A lot of talk in the King’s Speech with a very packed Legislative programme. However, while heading in the direction of implementing manifesto promises mostly today was about laying down the foundations for change at this juncture rather than any major changes immediately.
It won't stimulate growth, the reality is that the majority of employers have a limited pot they will spend on salary increases.
In August our shops are insanely busy - it’s very hard work and as an incentive I run a 2% of turnover bonus scheme which gets shared out pro rata amongst all the shop staff.
They have lots of stupid plans
Which ones specifically, and why are they stupid?
I await his reply with interest.
