NMW to increase again next year to £12.21 ph.

Capitalism also means letting the market dictate prices, including for wages. If the market doesn’t think your skills and experience are worth more, you won’t get it.

You can’t have it both ways.

Socialism? Hardly.

You should probably stop using words you don’t understand.

I think it's because we all know that those very large companies will get round it by reducing hours, automating more so less staff, etc. Nothing seems to get in the way of profits and paying dividends.

This.

This.

This only works if cost of living stands still otherwise everyone is just paying more and more for the basics. We need wage increases without the increase in prices for everything.

Also the thresholds for free eye tests, dental care and prescriptions need to rise along with this as I used to be eligible but the min wage increases have pushed me out of the pay point where I got these but in real terms I'm no better off than I was then. As someone with a very high glasses prescription the little help I got was very valuable to me.

We don't live in a communist state, there will always be someone who earns the least and someone who earns the most, that's Capitalism.

Will it reduce the benefits bill as the top up will now be less for some?

I have always been against the minimum wage from when it was brought in. However it is as it is now and not going anywhere. Increases in it probably means universal credit to full time working families in high rent areas will go down thus reducing a burden on the state and moving it to employers many of the latter of which currently in effect keep wages low because the state tops up with universal credit to some in work. However as it is unlikely then to mean my tax bill goes down that is no comfort to me

I think this just shows the lack of understanding of some types of businesses.

I am involved with the business side of a small pre school. They are a community pre school and the government funding is so tiny and if there are ever increases they are miniscule. The additional free hours having to be offered are making it extremely difficult, esp for 2 year olds where the ratios are 1:4.

The every increasing NMW is making it extremely hard for these settings to stay open, the gap between a new level 2 qualified member of staff and a manager in charge of everything are becoming increasingly tiny pay wise but the responsibility is huge, the budget just cannot stretch to give everyone the same % increase and the increases in rent etc (even in a church hall) are massive due to rises in utilities.

I imagine there will be many closing with more large increases, it's not because they are badly run businesses at all, they are fantastic places with wonderful staff who give our children an amazing start in life!

Possibly not, but keeping the poorest workers poor isn’t going to solve the problem either.

The problem is raising wages isn't going to fix the problem because the cost of living will increase to accommodate it, putting everyone back to square one. Radical change is needed to our housing stock, to our transportation system, and to increase self reliance and resilience. I don't know what the answer is but printing money is not it.

Yep. I work in a very very niche admin/it/radiology role and get paid band 2 for the pleasure. I'm also expected to know all about radiological anatomy, read/translate/verify radiology reports etc etc with increasing workloads and responsibilities. Less pay does not mean less stress or responsibility. It boils my blood that people think NMW means an easy job. So many very important behind the scenes roles within the NHS on band 2 and 3, getting paid pitifully, and no ones knows we exist.

This is a big issue in many areas outside london. Pay has been compressed so that minimum wage jobs are barely any less than job requiring degrees and 10years experience. But thats not the fault 9f successive govts for raising minimum wage - its the fault of employers who chose to squash up salaries when minimum wage was raised rather than increase staff pay across the board.
For 2 decades many workers have had below inflation increases and pay above the minimum wage has been eroded while big companies and investors have creamed off huge profits - I wish govt would do something about this

Sons partner had an interview today, post university minimum wage but it's a starting point. I hope the company don't rescind the post because her existing boss in a cafe has cut her back to 25. Hours a week because business is so slow 🙈

So what are the suggestions for those of us at the bottom of the pile?? Many on Mumsnet scream about those on benefits and rub their hands with glee at the thought of the Government being able to check our bank accounts, whilst suggesting we get a second or third job to survive or “just get a better paying job” when we can’t pay our bills.
Then our wages go up and that’s also wrong, because now we are getting paid more and we aren’t nearly as skilled as higher paid people. You can’t have it all ways and in the middle, and NMW jobs are hard with the poorest in work benefits ever.

Tbh Tescos, Asda, Sainsbury’s etc can easily afford decent wages, I don’t work in a supermarket, but I work FT and I need UC. That’s more the issue, everyone is jumping on the little guy getting a pay rise, hardly anyone is looking at the big fishes with their 3 million a year wages and multi billion profits.
That’s where anger should be, that there is a system where a few can get so much off the backs of paying so many so little.

Yep and then we don't have people coming through to be the next head chefs because why progress to be a CDP when you can earn the same for a KP, so there's a gap!

@Maverickess Well said!!

Whilst it is a step forward, right from the beginning I felt the introduction of the minimum wage should not be an isolated measure. To misquote Tony Blair- tackle low pay, tackle the causes of low pay.

Ending zero hours contracts, stopping other abuses too, for example. I also think there should be a higher rate for certain jobs when unsocial hours are required.

As I mentioned in my previous post, pub owners can't afford to pay someone 12 quid to wash pots. Every person washing pots will be 18 or under.

I think you might find that's not as easy and stress free as you think it is.
KP is probably one of the hardest roles in hospitality and without a KP nothing works, it's a dirty, physically hard job with long hours, with very little respect from anywhere - as we can see from the tone of your post.
KP is the last one out the kitchen and the first one in, they're the ones waiting while you decide you might have a dessert or not at 10.30pm when the kitchen closed an hour ago.

Is it rocket science or does it need a degree? No, but that doesn't mean it's not important enough to pay a decent wage and respect? Also no.

Totally agree with you that jobs with higher requirements for entry/doing them/responsibility also deserve more pay, of course they do, but illustrating your point with the attitude you've shown about jobs like 'pot wash' is half the problem.

We keep reading how shit service is on here, well you know what, maybe there's just no endless supply of people willing to do these jobs for wages they can't live on.
You want services like restaurants/shops/care homes staffed?
The people staffing these industries are sick of having the piss taken out of them and if we're going to attract people to these jobs, then they need to pay enough so that people can do more than survive on the bare minimum.

Look on the bright side though, if all these skilled workers give up their jobs and move into the fabled less stressful jobs in hospitality, retail & care, at least service would improve?

Or the opposite, there'll be no adults to train and mentor them because everyone will be employing under 21s