Jan 2020
8:59am, 6 Jan 2020
9,874 posts
|
larkim
As someone (me) who advocates good basic wages for employees, but equally is commercially realistic, is it realistic to not expect increases in wages to be passed on to consumers in some degree? Of course, it depends on how much labour costs are as a proportion of the overall cost of goods (e.g. different in service sector particularly - cf. the care sector, where increases in minimum wages would have to be passed on to those paying otherwise the sector would go bust). I think the evidence so far is that the economy has sustained min wage increases, largely because a lot of minimum wage employees are employed in / around sectors funded by the state in the first place, though it is no doubt also responsible in part for the increase in the size of the gig economy too. |
Jan 2020
9:00am, 6 Jan 2020
168 posts
|
Stander
"this isn't always the case" can be applied to almost everything in life. Vetry little is absolute so there are always exceptions. But if you have a job and an income, you are less likely to be poor than if you don't have one. Welcome to the School of Stating the Bloody Obvious. 
|
|
Jan 2020
9:03am, 6 Jan 2020
169 posts
|
Stander
The gig economy and zero hours contracts is an area of growth that needs far more regulation. Many large employers are using these cons to get out of their responsibilities, but they are not all bad news. I have certainly worked at a charity, where zero hour contracts suited not only the charity, but those staff on them. |
|
Jan 2020
9:09am, 6 Jan 2020
9,876 posts
|
larkim
Agree Stander. Despite my strong left wing convictions, I've been a student wanting work and not caring a jot about holiday pay, sickness etc. and wanting the flexibility to say to my employer "I can't come in next Monday so don't feel you need to pay me" etc. And also worked in the care sector where flexibility for a lot of young staff was valued - not by everyone. Zero hours have become demonised, typical of the current level of political debate where things are either "good" or "bad". I think the problem was that the zero hours mentality was starting to be applied in areas where it hadn't traditionally featured. |
|
Jan 2020
9:25am, 6 Jan 2020
171 posts
|
Stander
The charity provided services after school and during school holidays. We used university students to staff those school holiday sessions where we ran very many more sessions and therefore needed very many more staff. It worked well for both parties. And they accrued holiday pay, the same as the full time staff. |
|
Jan 2020
9:30am, 6 Jan 2020
172 posts
|
Stander
I do agree though Larkim, than some employers are moving to zero hours contracts for their benefit only, not the staff. I expect these to diminish however if the Brexit immigration controls mean that the surplus cheap labour pool is reduced. Employers will then need to actively encourage staff to want to work for them (with better benefits and contracts) rather than people having to work for them because of no other options. We are never going to get back to the days when you could walk out of one job today and get another one next week, but currently all the power lies with employers whilst they can simply tell staff just to fuck off and then they get the next mug in. (Yes, over simplified greatly, but you get the principle, so no need to unpick the minutiae) |
Jan 2020
10:13am, 6 Jan 2020
10,416 posts
|
Markymarkmark
I do like the idea of employers paying enough to make it worth while working. But it needs to go hand in hand with a sensible are responsive "sliding scale" of state benefits so working more than a few hours doesn't instantly kill off the incentives. Either that or every business needs to be thriving so well that they can pay a genuinely good wage - which we know won't ever happen. |
Jan 2020
10:53am, 6 Jan 2020
6,070 posts
|
jda
larkim, the idea is that wages can increase due to increased productivity. The lack of productivity growth in the UK is what is killing the economy. Even a min wage drone will have ways of working more or less efficiently depending on equipment and training.
|
Jan 2020
11:57am, 6 Jan 2020
60,090 posts
|
swittle
BBC Radio 4, 9.45am this week is broadcasting a series of talks by British novelists, called 'State Of The Nation'. Here is Howard Jacobson's excoriating critique of the meaning of Brexit, prompted by a chance meeting with a stranger. bbc.co.uk |
Jan 2020
1:08pm, 6 Jan 2020
3,444 posts
|
mr d
Plenty of skills where the employer has limited power at present. The IT sector has a skills gap that is unlikely to close soon. |
Useful Links
FE accepts no responsibility for external links. Or anything, really.Related Threads
-
Fantasy General Election
Jul 2024
-
EU Referendum - In or Out? Vote here
Aug 2018
-
March to Parliament Against Brexit - Sat 2nd July
Jun 2016
-
EU Referendum
Feb 2016
-
Ads on Fetch - anyone else getting Leave and Remain?!
Feb 2017
-
The Environment Thread :-)
Oct 2024
-
Economics
Aug 2023
-
Dear Scottish Fetchies
Jan 2023
-
Any economists out there - question
Oct 2022
-
Power and exploitation - please check my sanity
Oct 2018
