Mick Lynch RMT Gen Sec

[Rjk]

Re: Mick Lynch RMT Gen Sec

Erm no. If 9.50 per hours means you are not able to afford basic living costs then you are happily condemning a shit load of people to poverty.

The aim of the minimum wage should be to ensure basic living costs can be covered by somebody in full time employment, not some Dickensian tool to motivate the lazy.

yes, and in my opinion the minimum wage should be enough to live off without any additional benefits.

As it is we have ended up in a situation that businesses pay so little that the poorest have to rely on handouts from the government and charities in order to survive, and those at the top have bigger and bigger pay.

Why do we allow this?
You can work your guts out in a full time job in this country and still struggle to make ends meet

[North Cardiff Blue]

Re: Mick Lynch RMT Gen Sec

Erm no. If 9.50 per hours means you are not able to afford basic living costs then you are happily condemning a shit load of people to poverty.

The aim of the minimum wage should be to ensure basic living costs can be covered by somebody in full time employment, not some Dickensian tool to motivate the lazy.

There should be additional help for housing and working tax etc for people who need it, but people need to want to help themselves and move to a better paid job, it is only considered as a stepping stone to a decent wage.

[North Cardiff Blue]

Re: Mick Lynch RMT Gen Sec

yes, and in my opinion the minimum wage should be enough to live off without any additional benefits.

As it is we have ended up in a situation that businesses pay so little that the poorest have to rely on handouts from the government and charities in order to survive, and those at the top have bigger and bigger pay.

Why do we allow this?
You can work your guts out in a full time job in this country and still struggle to make ends meet

Why would you pick and stay in a job like that?

There is google these days, type in what jobs pay what, and try not to pick one that pays minimum wage?

Train drivers and Lorry drivers pay quite a bit, aim for something like that as a mininum if you're educated consider alternatives, there are plenty of well paid jobs and plenty of badly paid jobs ?

[Eric Cartman]

Re: Mick Lynch RMT Gen Sec

Why would you pick and stay in a job like that?

There is google these days, type in what jobs pay what, and try not to pick one that pays minimum wage?

Train drivers and Lorry drivers pay quite a bit, aim for something like that as a mininum if you're educated consider alternatives, there are plenty of well paid jobs and plenty of badly paid jobs ?

Yes and there always will be and should be (based on skills/demand/supply etc.), but none of them should pay a full time employee less than it costs to live.

I don't understand how people have been convinced that it is out of reach for one of the wealthiest countries in the world to ensure people in full time work earn enough to live.

It isn't to any of our benefits not to do this btw, I would stake a lot that there isn't anybody on this board who benefits from rampant wealth inequality and an oligarchical government ensuring that the very wealthy minority are continually protected. So why do people cheerlead for it?

[Tuerto]

Re: Mick Lynch RMT Gen Sec

Why would you pick and stay in a job like that?

There is google these days, type in what jobs pay what, and try not to pick one that pays minimum wage?

Train drivers and Lorry drivers pay quite a bit, aim for something like that as a mininum if you're educated consider alternatives, there are plenty of well paid jobs and plenty of badly paid jobs ?

You've nailed it. Why the **** haven't poorly paid people thought of just getting a better paid job in order to alleviate their problems? It's baffling!

[Pedro de la Rosa]

Re: Mick Lynch RMT Gen Sec

You've nailed it. Why the **** haven't poorly paid people thought of just getting a better paid job in order to alleviate their problems? It's baffling!

Just get a better job, it's simple

Also, who is going to do those jobs?

[Feedback]

Re: Mick Lynch RMT Gen Sec

Have you been completely asleep during 2010s and completely unaware of life for young working people now?

Its always been this way for young people. This generation is not special.

[lardy]

Re: Mick Lynch RMT Gen Sec

Just get a better job, it's simple

Also, who is going to do those jobs?

Some kind of freedom of movement to make it easier for citizens of other countries to come and work?

[North Cardiff Blue]

Re: Mick Lynch RMT Gen Sec

Just get a better job, it's simple

Also, who is going to do those jobs?

For some people it is that simple!

Some of the track workers will think, great use the drones to check the tracks give me the redundancy, I'll train to be a Lorry driver and keep some of the money for back up cash, earn more money and jobs a good one!

Others will stay on strike as long as possible keep asking for more cash to stay in the comfort zone.

[Feedback]

Re: Mick Lynch RMT Gen Sec

Well someone said no one was better off, to which I proved that the minimum wage rises in the last decade have gone up twice as fast as inflation.

If only you lot could eliminate economic facts and anyone with different opinions, then finally you would be happy!

whilst it is true that the minimum wage has outpaced inflation, and the nil rate band has also increased considerably, the single biggest cost that most people face will be housing. Given house prices rise on average about 10% per annum, we shouldn't crack open the champagne just yet, given many people are finding it more difficult to get on the housing ladder.

[Feedback]

Re: Mick Lynch RMT Gen Sec

Nah you're talking rubbish. When has housing, gas and electric and petrol been this expensive? Millenials currently have around 7% of wealth compared to 22% boomers had at the same age (https://fortune.com/2022/03/22/mille...llion-boomers/).

Your generation just deny deny and deny that there are any issues and then act shocked when people begin to strike.

I honestly think lead paint has ****ed your heads.

This is the problem with statistics, taken on their own they don't tell the whole story. When boomers were in their 20s, the average life expectancy was considerably less than it is now. As most unfettered homeownership occurs in your 50s and beyond, its true to say that as people live longer, the nations wealth is going to decrease for any age group year on year. Whether the drop from 22% to 7% can be accounted for this alone, I doubt.

[North Cardiff Blue]

Re: Mick Lynch RMT Gen Sec

whilst it is true that the minimum wage has outpaced inflation, and the nil rate band has also increased considerably, the single biggest cost that most people face will be housing. Given house prices rise on average about 10% per annum, we shouldn't crack open the champagne just yet, given many people are finding it more difficult to get on the housing ladder.

True thats the biggest problem for the young, they can still buy a house, but its very difficult and they need a decent wage so it's very hard. House prices should fall this year or next, hopefully that will help a few more to be able to buy their own homes.

I think Landlords buying power has pushed prices beyond the average youngster, there needs to be some carrot or threat of a stick to persaude landlords to reduce portfolios so youngsters can buy rather rent which is dead money.

[Feedback]

Re: Mick Lynch RMT Gen Sec

That's not the point people are making though. The major expense in anybody's life is shelter and that is rampantly out of control, it wasn't back then. It would make a huge difference to me if my rent was even a quarter cheaper, it won't ever happen because the government has to protect house prices like they are it's firstborn.

It is only in the past 12 years that interest rates have been as low as they are. Interest rates historically were around 7-10%, on occasions rising to 15%. It is accepted that housing is the single biggest cost, so I can't see how interest rates being a fraction of what they were back then has made the situation as bad today as you are alluding to.

You need to move away from the Thatcherite policy of homeownership that you favour. Whilst home ownership is nice to have, take a leaf out of our continental cousin's playbook where renting is so much more the norm.

[Feedback]

Re: Mick Lynch RMT Gen Sec

It's relevent because someone on here said all the lowest paid are worse off in the last 10 years in terms of wages v inflation, and that isn't true in terms of the minimum wage. Surely, facts matter?

Of course, but you're being very selective with the facts you choose to use.