What Would Happen If
- Thread starter Sonea Fifer
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Then quite a few on benefits might actually be able to live off the wages they earn.
One big problem is many people on benefits can't afford to go back to work, realistically can you raise a family on minimum wage?
And prices.
That's a self-fulfilling prophecy though, wages will never rise while the government steps in, and the exemptions and so on mean that those on benefits are frequently better off than those working until they are way, way above their earning potential in wages.
Government interference makes the situation worse, not better.
That too, the situation of low wages is relative, and increasing wages on it's own does not really benefit as it also increases costs and raises prices, meaning that those on low wages aren't any better off, their spending power hasn't increased.
Realistically should you have a family if you are on minimum wage?
I've read in a few (proper) newspapers various reports about the current economic climate airing opinions that the migrant workers we have here are actually helping the country stay afloat for various reasons. The biggest one appears to be that as the pound weakens then migrant workers leave, or at least slow down coming in, which makes available more work/jobs for 'locals' and therefore preventing unemployment going through the roof.
Do hope that makes sense!
Do hope that makes sense!
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It riles me up when I hear people with their smug superior attitudes towards benefits, assuming that anyone on any kind of benefit is a fraud or scrounger.
I understand your point - I'm not saying everyone on benefits is lazy or a fraud or a scrounger - I'm sure there's quite a few people genuinley unable to work and in the unfortunate position of having to rely on government benefits in order to live day to day. And I'm sure you'll agree there's probably plenty more people who are perfectly capable of working but consider certain jobs beneath them and are financially better off staying on benefits?
Who do you blame for this?
The people who may have been raised in the belief that others should finance their lifestyle (as has been mentioned) or the government for creating this whole situation in the first place?
And this is why i asked the question in the title of the thread - at this point (from my limited experience) i can see the migrant workers are helping keep the country afloat at the moment, surely thats not going to last as the pound weakens though? Given the views of the majority of the unskilled British workers things will grind to a halt before they decide to act.
Thats another can of worms all together - speaking from my own point of view if you can afford it why not? You can still raise a child with all the love in the world regardless of the amount of income you've got coming in.
Soldato
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That's what I don't get. I'd hazard a guess that at least one of the half dozen supermarkets here is looking for staff to do donkey work- tills, shelf stacking, warehouse work. The pay is crap and the hours are probably worse, but the work is there. There are plenty of jobs out there, but if you were in that situation and had the choice between sitting on your arse getting paid JSA or stacking boxes of cornflakes in Asda, what would you do?
I went and worked for McDonalds rather than sitting their sponging, so I know what I would do
I can't see wages rising unless the government steps in.
"Hey, major industries, how'd you like to raise everyone's wages?"
"**** off!"
Yeah, I can really see that working.
It's more along the lines of "Where are the good employees?" when you don't give a good payment/benefits package...
That was pretty much my point really. You should only have a family if you can afford it, rather than having one anyway and expecting others to pick up the tab.
Not necessarily - did prices go up when the minimum wage was introduced? No they didn't. Do prices go up every time the min wage increases? No it doesn't. Productivity is so high in Britain these days compared to Eastern Europe and the Far East that wages are not a significant contributor to price inflation. We've seen inflation recently which hasn't been fuelled by wages, but by commodity price increases.
Prices aren't set on an old fashioned cost-plus model anymore anyway, they're set based on what people are prepared to pay - hence the magic 1:1 Pound: Dollar exchange rate we get for consumer electronics.
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Soldato
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Unemployment figures would begin to rise.
In the current economic situation polish etc. workers getting paid cash under the table are being let off everywhere, and often going home.
This is disguising the rising unemployment rate, as there are no statistics on them, when the last pole boards the ferry home, the **** will hit the fan and the media will go nuts on it.
In the current economic situation polish etc. workers getting paid cash under the table are being let off everywhere, and often going home.
This is disguising the rising unemployment rate, as there are no statistics on them, when the last pole boards the ferry home, the **** will hit the fan and the media will go nuts on it.
Not necessarily - did prices go up when the minimum wage was introduced? No they didn't. Do prices go up every time the min wage increases? No it doesn't. Productivity is so high in Britain these days compared to Eastern Europe and the Far East that wages are not a significant contributor to price inflation. We've seen inflation recently which hasn't been fuelled by wages, but by commodity price increases.
Prices aren't set on an old fashioned cost-plus model anymore anyway, they're set based on what people are prepared to pay - hence the magic 1:1 Poundollar exchange rate we get for consumer electronics.
In those industries where minimum wage employment is common, yes they did. Fast food, some types of factory work, restaurants etc all have shown significant comparative price rises since the introduction of the minimum wage.
We'd be ****ed if all immigrant workers downed tools.
You have a lot of toilet cleaners, car washers which is cool, no skill required, low pay but it's a job for an immigrant who struggles to find employment.
Then you've got a load of cabbies who aint very good and rely on satnav, which is annoying, but there would be severe problems getting home for girls in town if we didn't have these half arsed cabbies.
Builders, polish builders, if they down tools, more chavs would become builders, making all the building work ****.
Doctors, you know theres a lot of pakistani and indian doctors, which is cool, because you know they have a passion, they're good doctors you don't want to lose.
To be honest thats all just sweeping generalisation and *******s but you know there would be significant problems if all immigrant workers went home.
You have a lot of toilet cleaners, car washers which is cool, no skill required, low pay but it's a job for an immigrant who struggles to find employment.
Then you've got a load of cabbies who aint very good and rely on satnav, which is annoying, but there would be severe problems getting home for girls in town if we didn't have these half arsed cabbies.
Builders, polish builders, if they down tools, more chavs would become builders, making all the building work ****.
Doctors, you know theres a lot of pakistani and indian doctors, which is cool, because you know they have a passion, they're good doctors you don't want to lose.
To be honest thats all just sweeping generalisation and *******s but you know there would be significant problems if all immigrant workers went home.
