Benfiquista sindicalista
O artigo infra mostra a vontade e forte determinação do governo conservador do Reino Unido em lixar quem ganha o salário mínimo.
Ainda não fizeram nada de bom e ainda querem fazer pior, lixar mais o pobre trabalhador.
O Reino Unido tem tido um sistema de baixo salário mínimo (este nem existia, e foi o Tony Blair que o introduziu). O Partido Conservador (Os Tories) não têm historial nenhum de criar algo de bom para a classe trabalhadora. Cada vez que são eleitos só se interessam em criar mais riqueza para os super ricos. Também foi o Partido trabalhista que criou a Segurança Social.
Este sistema de salários baixos incentivam as empresas a meter gente e assim reduzem o desemprego. Depois existe um sistema social de tops ups (subsídios) de salários tais como o subsídio à habitação, sbsídios das Finanças de incentivo ao trabalho, subsídios também das Finanças para as crianças (Tax créditos). Talvez haja mais. Sem isto, quem tem salários baixos não conseguiria viver, sobretudo em Londres onde as rendas casas atingem valores tão altos como o arranha-céus Shard.
Só que agora, este governo entrou numa paranóia de acabar com estes subsídios, mas sem levantar os salários. Imaginem o desiquilíbrio que vão criar! Vamos ver até que ponto o outro partido da coligação, os LibDem, vão permitir este ataque mortal contra a sobrevivência dos mais vulneráveis. As decisões sociais deste governo já estão a causar um caos dos diabos.
A temática deste governo tem sempre sido tentar criminalizar os desempregados, os imigrantes, os incapacitados para o trabalho, e culpá-los pela crise.
Quem causou a crise foram os bancos a jogar o dinheiro na economia casino, por não investirem em trabalho produtor de riqueza. Meteram-se na especulação, sobretudo nas hipotecas, e depois caiu tudo como um castelo de carta.
Este governo lança estes tópicos para o ar e a plebe morde no isca e começa a criticar as pessoas da mesma classe, os vizinhos e os amigos! Nem sequer têm inteligência para discernir as manhas e artimanhas deste governo reaça como o diabo.
2 September 2013 Last updated at 18:54
In 2012 there were 1.4 million workers earning the national minimum wage
Conservatives 'considering ways to raise minimum wage'
In 2012 there were 1.4 million workers earning the national minimum wage
The Conservative party is examining ways to raise the national minimum wage, BBC Newsnight has learned.
Measures being considered include offering tax breaks to companies paying a wage level higher than the current national minimum of £6.19 an hour.
And a possible demand for companies above a certain size or profit level to pay employees more than the minimum.
However, sources say this is meeting some resistance inside government amid fears it may alienate business leaders.
The proposals are part of a Conservative effort to combat low wages and underscore the party's commitment to make work pay.
Sources told BBC Newsnight that the Conservative party intends to announce further welfare reforms this Autumn, but believes that any further tightening of Britain's benefits system must also be met with greater support for those in work.
They also want to ensure that the economic recovery is enjoyed by those on low salaries as well as those at the top in an attempt to blunt Labour's charge that the Coalition is presiding over a recovery for the few.
Timetable
Policy advocates are pushing for a change in the minimum wage to be included in Prime Minister David Cameron's speech to the Tory party conference at the end of September, or failing that in the Autumn Statement in November.
But a Downing Street source told Newsnight that a policy change "remains a long way off" and that "it may be more likely as a contender for the Tories' next manifesto".
Insiders say that for any measure to be adopted it must balance increasing people's earning power, with ensuring that there is no negative impact on employment.
In 2012 there were 1.4 million workers earning the national minimum wage.
One option being looked at is offering a National Insurance cut for those companies that pay their minimum wage employees more than that level.
This would mean less revenue for the Treasury, but because people's salaries would to be topped up by a lower amount of tax credits from the Treasury the policy is supposed to be close to cost neutral for the Exchequer.
The independent think tank the Institute for Fiscal Studies has calculated that for every pound spent paying the so-called Living Wage, which is currently set at £7.45 per hour for those working outside of London, £8.55 per hour for those inside London; the Treasury saves 50p through not needing to pay tax credits and benefits.
The figures would be different for an increased minimum wage, but the same calculation could apply, though experts caution that the effect a higher minimum wage would have on tax credit savings would be far more complicated in reality.
Cost of living
Another option being considered is some kind of "profit threshold" above which a company would be compelled to pay a higher minimum wage, though sources say the policy might be optional for companies below that profit level or size.
The most extreme option is simply that the Low Pay Commission, which sets the level of the national minimum wage, would recommend that the national minimum wage should be higher and that there would be no policy to offset this for businesses.
Although the Commission technically sets the rate, government sources believe a statement by the prime minister that he would like to see an increase which reflects the suppression of wages in recent years would be taken on board by them.
But this option is thought not to be palatable within government.
The minimum wage is already scheduled to increase to £6.31 an hour in October. On current projections, experts predict that the UK is heading for a minimum wage in the region of £7.20 an hour in 2017/18. This, they say, would be equivalent to £6.12 at today's prices and lower in real terms than it was in 2004-5.
Strategists across all political parties agree that the rising cost of living will be one of the defining issues in the next general election. Tory strategists are keen that alongside more policies to drive people back to work, they are also making having a job pay.
The Labour party has floated a series of policies to increase the number of companies and councils that pay the Living Wage, but has so far not committed to any specific changes.
As part of the Labour party policy review process, the shadow Treasury team are also looking at whether living wage zones could be set up, targeted at certain sectors of industry or geographical areas where a large number of employers are prepared to pay the living wage.
Conservatives believe that the living wage is too high and so blunt an instrument that it would have a bad effect on business activity and employment levels.
Comments
All posts are reactively-moderated and must obey the house rules.
All posts are reactively-moderated and must obey the house rules.
Comment number151.
HavocJUST NOW
Introduce a 3 day working week with a 7.5 hour working day and a minimum and maximum wage with pension contibutions made by your employer.
Lets start living life and not spending life doing hard labour.
Comment number150.
Rachael2 MINUTES AGO
Comment number149.
TrueHammerofPompey2 MINUTES AGO
How about paying people a wage that is enough to meet basic needs...you could call it a living wage?
Define basic needs. I don't consider Sky, Plasma TV, smoking drinking, overseas holidays and designer clothes basic needs, but choices one makes. I'd even go so far as to include multiple (define more than 2 / 3?) kids as a choice (other than multiple births)
Comment number148.
Brad2 MINUTES AGO
If providing tax credits enables employers to lower wages, then surely the reverse is true. Wages are a price like any other; supply and demand determine their values in a healthy economy. There is a very strong supply of inexperienced youth relative to the demand. You want more money? You need to become a member of the experienced, but govt. have closed that door, and you champion it.
Comment number147.
rufusdufus3 MINUTES AGO