David Posted June 17, 2011 Share Posted June 17, 2011 Construction union UCATT have warned that a Conservative MP's Private Members Bill is a thinly disguised attempt to undermine the minimum wage. The Employment Opportunities Bill, which is being sponsored by Christopher Chope MP, is due to have it Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Smegma Cake Posted June 17, 2011 Share Posted June 17, 2011 Its hard enough to get a job as it is without the minimum wage being an opt in system. Meaning those who wouldn't mind working for less cash are more likely to be hired than those who actually need the minimum wage. Plus, it gives the employers the opportunity to ONLY hire those willing to opt out. Â Hopefully this doesn't go through. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
patiirc Posted June 17, 2011 Share Posted June 17, 2011 Reading that isnt that basically the same as signing to opt out of the Working time directive, which a lot of companies offer anyway  So whats the hooha about? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
David Posted June 17, 2011 Author Share Posted June 17, 2011 Reading that isnt that basically the same as signing to opt out of the Working time directive, which a lot of companies offer anyway So whats the hooha about? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
patiirc Posted June 17, 2011 Share Posted June 17, 2011 Reading that isnt that basically the same as signing to opt out of the Working time directive, which a lot of companies offer anyway So whats the hooha about?  What's the hilarity?  Iz am right? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
David Posted June 17, 2011 Author Share Posted June 17, 2011 The laugh was more incredulity at your statement there Pat. It's nowhere near as trivial an issue as the opt-out agreement over working hours. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paid Members Mike Castle Posted June 17, 2011 Paid Members Share Posted June 17, 2011 Reading that isnt that basically the same as signing to opt out of the Working time directive, which a lot of companies offer anyway So whats the hooha about?  What's the hilarity?  Iz am right? pat, as it is, plenty of people struggle to earn enough to live on the minimum wage. I myself cannot afford to live on minimum wage if I'm working below 24 hours a week.  Now consider that companies are allowed to say "We're only going to employ people who are willing to opt out of the minimum wage", and instead of paying someone Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
d-d-d-dAz Posted June 17, 2011 Share Posted June 17, 2011 This gives rise to the situation where between two candidates, one with a family who needs the MW and one youngster who just wants a bit of cash on the hip, businesses will choose the cheaper option. The very existence of this issue will, in the long run, undermine the minimum wage. Â It will depress wages across the public and private sectors, depress the standards of the workforce and generally encourage deflation. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
David Posted June 17, 2011 Author Share Posted June 17, 2011 It will depress wages across the public and private sectors, depress the standards of the workforce and generally encourage deflation. Not to mention the effect that this will have on areas of high unemployment; Â The Low Pay Commission must consider and take evidence on the availability of employment opportunities and the impact of the national minimum wage on job creation and access to employment in all travel to work areas where the average level of unemployment in the preceding year has been above the national average, and must consider in the light of that assessment whether to recommend that the minimum wage in any such area should be set at a level below the national minimum wage. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paid Members Halitosis Romantic Posted June 17, 2011 Paid Members Share Posted June 17, 2011 It will depress wages across the public and private sectors, depress the standards of the workforce and generally encourage deflation. Not to mention the effect that this will have on areas of high unemployment; Â The Low Pay Commission must consider and take evidence on the availability of employment opportunities and the impact of the national minimum wage on job creation and access to employment in all travel to work areas where the average level of unemployment in the preceding year has been above the national average, and must consider in the light of that assessment whether to recommend that the minimum wage in any such area should be set at a level below the national minimum wage. Â That's awe inspiring. A means to set wages in poorer areas lower than those in wealthier ones, unless I'm misreading. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
David Posted June 17, 2011 Author Share Posted June 17, 2011 That's awe inspiring. A means to set wages in poorer areas lower than those in wealthier ones, unless I'm misreading. Nope, that's exactly what it is. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Loki Posted June 17, 2011 Share Posted June 17, 2011 Chris Chope was the MP where I used to live. He's a disgusting piece of work, a slimy, lying Tory of the worst type, who's also heavily rumoured to be a closet gay. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paid Members Dead Mike Posted June 17, 2011 Paid Members Share Posted June 17, 2011 On one hand we're told they want to get people off benfits & back to working & with this they're looking at removing the minimum wage. As if there's not too many people stuck in the benefit trap WITH a minimum wage. This will only compound the problem. Will be sweet for large employers though, the rich get richer Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
patiirc Posted June 17, 2011 Share Posted June 17, 2011 The laugh was more incredulity at your statement there Pat. It's nowhere near as trivial an issue as the opt-out agreement over working hours.  Yes it is! Its exactly the bloody same.  We have covered elsewhere that there are professions that dont get minimum wage anyway.  The scaremongering and Doom-merchanting about oh companies will only employ those who opt out and those who can and cant do this and whatever is a bit rich when it is exactly like opting out of the Working Time Directive  Technically people shouldnt be working 35 hours or more in a week, company gives them the option to do more ie Over Time or change hours at will as is the case with many places these days and they have to sign a bit of paper waivering their rights to keep to the 35 hour week   In this case you would have to sign to say you have to opt out of the minimum wage Plus according to that you can opt back in at any time as well.Of course there would be pressures not to but they arent holding a bullet to your head to do it  As far as I see it, its a response to where companies especially small ones have during the recession have 'forced' workers to take pay cuts anyway instead of laying off and folding. Yes its a false economy as its propping up failing ventures that should probably go to the wall anyway. But its already being and has been done. This is just legitimising the process enabling people to take a pay cut to below the minimum should they want to.  No one has to sign. Okay their Job prospects may not be great, but that's active discrimination anyway for chosing one part of the law over the other and surely the Unions would recognise that anyway rather than bleat about how it is bad for the poor and the rich are going to get richer? or is that too straightforward?  pat, as it is, plenty of people struggle to earn enough to live on the minimum wage. I myself cannot afford to live on minimum wage if I'm working below 24 hours a week. Now consider that companies are allowed to say "We're only going to employ people who are willing to opt out of the minimum wage", and instead of paying someone Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
David Posted June 17, 2011 Author Share Posted June 17, 2011 Pat, you're either still on those drugs for your many conditions, or you're mind is scrambled by pub girl. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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