Mimimum Wage Debate last night on TV3
Vincent Brown kept on asking the restaurant guy would he survive on the mimimum wage - without an answer.
It is good that this show will continue over the Summer.
The Frontline is taking a break.
Was that the extent of the debate? Usual Vincent Brown standard then.
Vincent Browne is a buffoon. He is utterly biased and does everything he can to skew the debate towards is nonsensical smoked salmon socialist agenda.
Browne’s argument that wages should also be capped at the upper end is also laughable.
The dole rate of €5.50 an hour acts as a protection against exploitation. The minimum wage at the highest after tax minimum wage in the EU acts as a barrier to job creation.That said, the minimum wage is very common in retail, catering etc.
It acts as a protection aganist expliotation.
Eurostat , the EC's statistical office adjusted Ireland's minimum wage to reflect purchasing power based on the cost of living here.
Eurostat , the EC's statistical office adjusted Ireland's minimum wage to reflect purchasing power based on the cost of living here.
Measured on this basis the Irish minimum wage drops to 6th on the table , worth less than the minimum wage paid in the UK,France,Belgium,Holland and Luxembourg.
The dole rate of €5.50 an hour acts as a protection against exploitation. The minimum wage at the highest after tax minimum wage in the EU acts as a barrier to job creation.
Over 15% of the French workforce is on the minimum wage. That shows that there is a higher proportion of lower paid people there.
Does'nt alter the fact that given the cost of living here the minimum wage is probably set at the correct level.
Yes, if you think the cost of living is acceptable then the minimum wage is acceptable.
Anyone calling for a lower minimum wage here is doing so because they think the cost of living should come down also.
The interviewee (rep from the Hotels/Restaurents federation I think) was very, very weak. Any half-decent rep would have pointed out to Vincent that no-one in fact survives on the minimum wage. They get a whole lot of other supports from the state (such as housing/rent allowance/medical card etc) that allow them to survive.Mimimum Wage Debate last night on TV3
Vincent Brown kept on asking the restaurant guy would he survive on the minimum wage - without an answer.
Minimum wage jobs are not there for survival. Their initial function is to get people on the first rung of the ladder when it comes to employment. These jobs are usually geared towards people that tend not to be academically minded and gain more experience from working than studying full time.
These things aren't always planned.One of audience's comments struck me last night. He had been unemployed for 14 months and his wife had just given birth to their 3rd child. This meant he was out of work when they decided to extend their family. Seemed a bit irresponsible to me to take on the extra cost of another child when he was struggling already.
Eurostat , the EC's statistical office adjusted Ireland's minimum wage to reflect purchasing power based on the cost of living here.
Measured on this basis the Irish minimum wage drops to 6th on the table , worth less than the minimum wage paid in the UK,France,Belgium,Holland and Luxembourg.
Brilliant - I'll be using that line again.If low wages was the answer to an economic recovery countries like Somalia would be economic superpowers.
Or else it contributes towards allowing the recipients keep their heads above water in a high-cost environment.Which contributes IMO to keeping the cost of living high here
Well don't create a property bubble, would be a good start.But how do you get one of them down so that the other follows?
Chicken or egg!????
I agree.The interviewee (rep from the Hotels/Restaurents federation I think) was very, very weak. Any half-decent rep would have pointed out to Vincent that no-one in fact survives on the minimum wage. They get a whole lot of other supports from the state (such as housing/rent allowance/medical card etc) that allow them to survive.
That’s where I disagree with socialists. I don’t think am employer should have to pay an employee based on what the employees costs are. I think they should pay their employees based on the value of the job they do. The social responsibility that the employer has is to pay their taxes. They state can then use that money to fun whatever social safety net they desire.Isn't it nice of the state to effectively subsidise these low wages?
I agree with that as well but you are arguing for more resources or better allocation of resources from the state rather than paying higher wages to people who’s input into a business doesn’t warrant it.I really don't believe this at all. For the vast majority of people in minimum and low wage jobs, there is no training, no development opportunities and no support to move onwards or upwards. Combine this with poor schooling and a social environment that does not value work, and the end result is that few people with develop beyond a low wage environment. A very small minority might manage to crawl their way over the threshold, but that is the exception, not the rule.
I agree with that as well but I don’t see it as a problem.But regardless of this, we need to look at the post rather than the person. Even if the employee manages to develop themselves, the minimum wage post exists for the next bloke/gal.
I don’t see how that has anything to do with the discussion as the state pays carers as part of the social infrastructure or do you think that employers should pay people more if they have dependent parents and/or disabled children?Society is unlikely to ever pay a decent living wage to those who mind our children, our elderly parents and our disabled brothers and sisters.