Should the UK abandon the minimum wage

[Fazz62]

Surely its time for the free market to take over and save the burden on employers paying the existing minimum wage.

A definite YES.
I suggest the Albion take this on board and review how much they pay the stewards out at Withdean to stand there picking their noses?

 

[Questions]

Just a question related to the minimum wage. I am a 20-year-old student and currently getting paid £5.05 in my job. Is this illegal?

If you are a student then you are probably only worth about £ 2.20 an hour.

£5.05 ? ......................... madness.

 

[Walkers Cajun Squirrel]

If you are a student then you are probably only worth about £ 2.20 an hour.

£5.05 ? ......................... madness.

Why are we only worth £2.20 and hour??

 

[Questions]

Why are we only worth £2.20 and hour??

Because if you were paid more you would only move up from Tesco`s premium cider to something posh like Bulmers or Scrumpyjack and then where would you be huh ?

 

[Simon Morgan]

Sadly ... no.

From HM Revenue Customs:National Minimum Wage

What are the current rates of the national minimum wage?

There are three levels of minimum wage, and the rates from 1 October 2008 are:

£5.73 per hour for workers aged 22 years and older
A development rate of £4.77 per hour for workers aged 18-21 inclusive
£3.53 per hour for all workers under the age of 18, who are no longer of compulsory school age

Thanks a lot for that, just needed to know!

 

[The Large One]

Why are we only worth £2.20 and hour??

Ignore him. He had to get one more dose of silliness in before 08 was out.

 

[Tony Meolas Loan Spell]

Personally I think the minimum wage is a good thing, at least you know how much you *should* be getting paid. If I lost my job I would want to know how much I could at least guarantee every month/week if I had to take a job to make ends meet. Cutting your cloth etc etc

What does need to be done is a complete overhaul of the benefits system. Its far to easy to abuse, those that are entitled to it fine - but there are many who know how to play the "game".

 

[Questions]

Ignore him. He had to get one more dose of syphilis in before 08 was out.

Running out of time now.

 

[Tom Hark Preston Park]

Yep let's keep the red flag flying high as New Labour bankrupt the UK.

I fear for you younger people as you will pay for the mis-management all of your lives.

What a shameful post.

OK, so you're alright Jack with your more-than-generous railway pension - that generosity being hard-fought-for through the actions of the rail unions BTW and not the rail employers - and certainly not the post-privatisation spivs. And don't tell me I'm talking shit cos me dad and me bruv both worked for the railways and their pension and death-in-service provisions are second to none. For which total respect to the Railway Pensions Board. And zero respect to yourself.

You got Junior Huts. You want them to earn a quid an hour under the thoroughly-discredited 'free market forces' regime, or the legally-legislated hourly wage under a Labour-initiated minimum wage scheme?

I repeat, what a shameful post.

 

[Lord Bracknell]

... and isn't it interesting how long-serving white collar railway staff can gloat about how well they are doing post-privatisation, while they hang on to their pre-privatisation pension and benefit entitlements?

All kept going, thanks to more public spending on the railways than ever before.

 

[Tom Hark Preston Park]

... and isn't it interesting how long-serving white collar railway staff can gloat about how well they are doing post-privatisation, while they hang on to their pre-privatisation pension and benefit entitlements?

Quite.

Utterly shameful, and if they had a decent bone in their body they'd keep shtum on this one.

 

[Beach Hut]

... and isn't it interesting how long-serving white collar railway staff can gloat about how well they are doing post-privatisation, while they hang on to their pre-privatisation pension and benefit entitlements?

All kept going, thanks to more public spending on the railways than ever before.

Dear oh dear the lefties have doubled up.

Actually a brave move by another conservative to introduce the Railways Act of Parliament.

Now tell me did ASLEF moan as drivers shamelessly are paid a kings ransom now ?

I think not........

Oh and post privatisation meant the free market and I have contributed soundly to my pension thanks to a hefty 11.6%

 

[Beach Hut]

What a shameful post.

OK, so you're alright Jack with your more-than-generous railway pension - that generosity being hard-fought-for through the actions of the rail unions BTW and not the rail employers - and certainly not the post-privatisation spivs. And don't tell me I'm talking shit cos me dad and me bruv both worked for the railways and their pension and death-in-service provisions are second to none. For which total respect to the Railway Pensions Board. And zero respect to yourself.

You got Junior Huts. You want them to earn a quid an hour under the thoroughly-discredited 'free market forces' regime, or the legally-legislated hourly wage under a Labour-initiated minimum wage scheme?

I repeat, what a shameful post.

Nothing shameful in a free market and thank goodness the conservatives introduced the Railways Act of Parliament - well done John Major, take a bow son.

 

[Tom Hark Preston Park]

Dear oh dear the lefties have doubled up.

Actually a brave move by another conservative to introduce the Railways Act of Parliament.

Now tell me did ASLEF moan as drivers shamelessly are paid a kings ransom now ?

I think not........

Oh and post privatisation meant the free market and I have contributed soundly to my pension thanks to a hefty 11.6%

Your railway pension would be approx 40% less if it wasn't for the unions you profess to despise.

Utterly shameful

 

[Cian]

You can't be serious, that would lead to peoples wages dropping like a stone with no evidence that it would create one single extra vacancy.
Low wages are bad for an economy as the recipient has no disposable income, cant get a mortgage, spend money in pubs, go on holiday in fact, cant buy anything but the basics at Lidl.

If you want to unburden companies from massive wage bills have a clear out of the overpaid directors, if the company is struggling it's a hell of a lot more their fault than the security guard and it would save a lot more than making the cleaner take home a quid an hour.

This post sums up everything I was going to say, but more succinctly...

Workers on the minimum wage as it is can barely contribute anything back in to economy due to having no money. Moving them on to bare subsistence wages will do further damage to the economy rather than helping anything. It could easily also lead to people being employed for bed + board again.

 

[Beach Hut]

Your railway pension would be approx 40% less if it wasn't for the unions you profess to despise.

Utterly shameful

It wasn't my Union (TSSA) that protected my pension it was the Railways Act Of Parliament, why the hell you think it was a Union is beyond me - in fact please explain.

I have remained in the Union solely to protect myself if made redundant. My union promised me the Railways would never be privatised

This year my union rep tells me he is fighting for various things in my pay rise but not those things that actually were promised to be resolved at privatisation but the Union didn't bother so I reminded him (again).

 

[Tom Hark Preston Park]

It wasn't my Union (TSSA) that protected my pension it was the Railways Act Of Parliament, why the hell you think it was a Union is beyond me - in fact please explain.

I have remained in the Union solely to protect myself if made redundant. My union promised me the Railways would never be privatised

This year my union rep tells me he is fighting for various things in my pay rise but not those things that actually were promised to be resolved at privatisation but the Union didn't bother so I reminded him (again).

Sorry to make it personal. But it's a subject close to me heart.

Me dad died in service in 1975. He was a union rep for the TSSA. Fought against railway management all his working life for a fair deal for members. The Railways Pension Board still pay me mum a widows pension even now, thirty plus years on.

Me bruv died in 2006. He hadn't worked for the railways for ten years before that since he was retired on ill health. He left two young daughters 17 & 19. The Railways Pension Board nonetheless paid both a very generous grant until they had finished full time education, including uni.

So I'm inclined to think that the Railways Pension Board are superb.

I'm also inclined to think that a large chunk of their superbness is down to the rail unions pushing for better terms and conditions for their members (as a former print union member I KNOW this is how it works)

So I find it more than a tad disgraceful for a long term railway employee to be knocking the rail unions.

 

[Beach Hut]

So I find it more than a tad disgraceful for a long term railway employee to be knocking the rail unions.

I haven't knocked them just pointed out what they did and didn't do and what you believe they did in my view they didn't with regard to Railway Privatisation.

Yes they do serve a purpose and I have never opted out of my Union as there are several good reasons to remain in it as nearly all companies can be very devious at times however it is now not nearly as powerful as it was, history tells us why.

 

[Tom Hark Preston Park]

I haven't knocked them just pointed out what they did and didn't do and what you believe they did in my view they didn't with regard to Railway Privatisation.

Yes they do serve a purpose and I have never opted out of my Union as there are several good reasons to remain in it as nearly all companies can be very devious at times however it is now not nearly as powerful as it was, history tells us why.

Fair enough :shakehandssmiley:

 

[British Bulldog]

Sorry to make it personal. But it's a subject close to me heart.

Me dad died in service in 1975. He was a union rep for the TSSA. Fought against railway management all his working life for a fair deal for members. The Railways Pension Board still pay me mum a widows pension even now, thirty plus years on.

Me bruv died in 2006. He hadn't worked for the railways for ten years before that since he was retired on ill health. He left two young daughters 17 & 19. The Railways Pension Board nonetheless paid both a very generous grant until they had finished full time education, including uni.

So I'm inclined to think that the Railways Pension Board are superb.

I'm also inclined to think that a large chunk of their superbness is down to the rail unions pushing for better terms and conditions for their members (as a former print union member I KNOW this is how it works)

So I find it more than a tad disgraceful for a long term railway employee to be knocking the rail unions.

If it was'nt for the unions and a few threats of strike action by members the railway pensions would be in a far bigger mess than they already are. I just hope there's something left in the pot for me when I retire.