NMW to increase again next year to £12.21 ph.

Even if the "as we should" means more unemployment?

We’re all going to pay for it. As we should.

Who pays for the NMW going up? Not the party that implements it and yet they seem so chuffed with themselves for doing so no matter what the true cost could actually be.

I don't think you can blame unemployment solely on labour - I was on the job market most of this year (so pre June) and it's been shite a while now .

Agree that they haven't made things any better

So reports are that unemployment went up markedly in the past 3months.
Ofcourse employers knew Labour was coming in so they tightened their belts knowing minimum wage would only go up again.
Last night LBC had a show asking why there was so much high unemployment in the UK especially amongst the youngest. So many called in saying their young adults were home with no job. Some are graduates, been home for 3yrs etc.
Employers will pay based on productivity

Sorry @Batmanisaplaceinturkey I quoted you by mistake and can't change it

We lost a GOVERNMENT contract to an overseas bidder paying terrible wages, was the point of my post.

The government insists we pay a NMW, which any decent employer is happy to do, but they don't want to pay for that themselves.

If you can't see the irony in that I can't help you. People reading my posts and assuming I want to pay 4 an hour are just spoiling for a fight.

Because my job is important and helps people. Also what is the alternative. I need to earn a living. Not everyone has the opportunity to go to a big city and work their way up the greasy pole. Everyone on my level is degree educated with tons of experience on the field.

They won't be ditching those jobs for NMW , I'm over 20 years professional and on over £30 an hour.

'Why are you having a go at Blanketyre?'

Have you read the thread? Blanketyre has been repeatedly rude, condescending and dismissive to several posters, including me, demanding answers and information from people while being very quiet about their own business.

It seems to be fine and dandy to complain about minimum wage increases while many of those at the top of the tree earn quite obscene multiples in salary.

Any western business in competition with China is on a hiding to nothing and has been for a long time. The additional NI and minimum wage is neither here nor there.

Why are you having a got at Blanketyre? They run a business and said they lost a contract to an overseas bidder who pays staff less. Its perfectly acceptable to deduce that the increase in NMW will create more of that issue?
Having concerns about staffing costs imposed on you by politicians with zero business experience is legitimate. It doesn't mean you want to pay slave wages!

Why do you do it then if it makes you feel like this?

I don’t think the answer to not being competitive is for the lowest wages to be kept low.
People will always buy cheap crap from China, but I also think as the public becomes more aware they do buy more “home grown” goods.
I don’t see why the responsibility for not being competitive always lies at the lowliest workers door. Look to the top and see if they can take a hit.
You see it all the time, staff cut so that profit can be increased, however it is almost never the top of the food chain that needs to take the cut.
That needs to be looked at, not the little guy made to feel bad because that extra 77p has wrecked the economy

To be fair a lot of manufacturers are struggling to compete with China. Particularly on price and the economy has moved away from manufacturing because of this. Although some still manufacture here.

They focus on innovation, customer service, after care, quality..

Lots of governments when awarding big contracts will have clauses saying the product has to be assembled in that country to keep jobs. The uk has been quite poor at this, generally going for cheaper abroad options and not specifying uk jobs as part of thier contracts.

But uk people people could factor this in when making thier own purchasing decisions from small products. Like who made this, what was their life like.

I manufacture. I don't try to price compete with cheap tat from China, why would I? My products are more expensive because they are of a high quality. People who want to buy cheap crap aren't my target market.

@Blanketyre As you haven’t actually explained what you manufacture not sure why it’s so important to you, that l have to.You’ve made it clear you would prefer to pay people less than the minimum wage to remain 'competitive’
Not every small business thinks this way.

To me it's the double standard of the Government

Insist on fair wages for UK workers
(Which we should have) meaning prices have to increase

But then government/council buy from overseas manufacturers because they are cheaper (as they pay their employees £4 an hour)

Or government contracts for care or Early years - insist the NMW is X but then keep the funding for the service at Y

There is a logic disconnect in there

You are making assumptions about my buying habits there. Nevertheless my point stands.

Blanketyre why don't you tell us what you manufacture and why it's necessary to pay your UK workforce £4 per hour to remain competitive.

OK, let's hear what you manufacture and how you remain competitive, I'd love to know?

So your answer is, to keep your staff on a low wage.

If you manufacture anything that needs humans to make it then you cannot compete on price with something similar made in China.

Clearly you like to jump to your own conclusions.

Clearly you don't actually manufacture anything in this country.