Page 11 | To think raising NMW is a good thing

Kilot · 2025-11-26T12:13:39+00:00

The poorest in society will earn more. Companies will have to pay more, benefits will drop.

xanthomelana · 26/11/2025 12:33

There’s a lot of hate for small businesses on this thread. In a few years all we’ll have is the likes of Amazon and then maybe people will be happy when they have a complete monopoly on the market and prices are ridiculous because there’s no competition.

PrioritisePleasure24 · 26/11/2025 12:33

GentleOlive · 26/11/2025 12:18

The minimum wage was raised already last year. And unemployment, especially youth unemployment has gone up. Wages can’t be raised in a vacuum. They have to underpinned by higher productivity and economic growth. Both of which have been killed stone dead by this government.

So the poor in society can’t earn more in jobs that don’t exist.

I’m no fan of this goverment atm. But you can’t blame the issues we currently have solely on a government that have been in for over a year. This is the mess of the previous goverment in power for many years who took their cake and ate it.

Original poster

Kilot · 26/11/2025 12:33

Cynic17 · 26/11/2025 12:28

No, it will just add more pain for small businesses, charities, care homes, arts institutions and other valuable services. So even if they don't close down altogether, they will employ fewer people or offer fewer hours of work per week.
Anyone who thinks that this is all marvellous because Big Bad Rich Companies will get a hammering is completely deluded. Everyone pays, because we either lose jobs, pay or services.

Care homes and the like are often absolutely raking it in. They won’t pay their staff more than they have to. Same with hospitality.

OP posts:

Chocolateteabag · 26/11/2025 12:32

AutumnLeavesandKnittedJumpers · 26/11/2025 12:17

Bollocks. Utter bollocks. If your business isn’t making enough to pay a liveable wage, it’s not a sustainable business

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Yep - more businesses will either go under or just stop

And there will be fewer people willing to risk starting or growing their businesses as the costs and lack of reward make it less and less worth it

Wages should increase of course
but there should be some measures to help encourage businesses to grow along side them

twolittles · 26/11/2025 12:32

Kilot · 26/11/2025 12:31

The answer is that companies will have to increase those salaries too, or nobody will do them. This won’t happen overnight but it will in time.

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Profits need to be redirected to wages rather than bonuses for directors

AutumnLeavesandKnittedJumpers · 26/11/2025 12:32

ChardonnaysBeastlyCat · 26/11/2025 12:32

You seem to be blinded by something.

I wonder what that is.

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Wanting to be paid enough to survive?

Fleetheart · 26/11/2025 12:32

Anyway; our minimum wage is very comparable to that in Germany and other European countries; I honestly think that people in this country have been brainwashed if the don’t think it’s good thing to pay people a reasonable wage for reasonable work.

AutumnLeavesandKnittedJumpers · 26/11/2025 12:32

WhitegreeNcandle · 26/11/2025 12:31

I wish people would stop quoting this. It makes me so angry. I produce something most people buy weekly. The supermarkets know our cost of production down to a T. A massive part of that is wages - they cost almost every our at NMW. We are on a contract that means as our costs go up so does what the supermarket pays us. A guaranteed margin if you will.

if NMW goes up the food you buy in the supermarket goes up.

i don’t disagree thy low paid workers should earn more but don’t tell me my business isn’t viable when it’s dictated to me how much to pay my staff.

I suspect in other industries they just outsource to cheaper parts of the world as well

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It’s not. Sorry but that’s the long and short of it.

elliejjtiny · 26/11/2025 12:32

Some companies will get round not paying, they always do.

ChardonnaysBeastlyCat · 26/11/2025 12:32

AutumnLeavesandKnittedJumpers · 26/11/2025 12:31

Why do you think that running a small business is the be all and end all? If your business can’t pay a living wage it’s not viable.

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You seem to be blinded by something.

I wonder what that is.

MincePudding · 26/11/2025 12:32

The "poorest in society" are often doing government-funded work like caring and facilities mamagement jobs like hospital porters and cleaners, administration, school admin, front line council services.

""Benefits may drop" just means the Gov will be paying more from a different Gov pot half the time and topping up non-gov jobs with benefits because, shockingly, if supermarkets are paying their staff more, they will be charging more for goods and services to cover it. So your wages will go on their wages. It's a vicious cycle.

And then people earning a bit more than minimum wage now think - why am I holding more responsibilities than my minimum wage colleague?

BadgernTheGarden · 26/11/2025 12:32

Fleetheart · 26/11/2025 12:30

The business is not a viable one if it’s not paying a living wage.

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It is viable if it reduces staff. It has to pay living wage it doesn't have to employ a certain number of staff.

TallulahBetty · 26/11/2025 12:31

Halfblindbunny · 26/11/2025 12:16

Companies will employ less people. Small businesses that may have taken on an employee won't. Those lucky enough to have a secure minimum wage job will earn more. Lots of others will not have a job because of it. Companies will have to pay their staff more so will increase prices which will affect everybody. So no it's not that great actually.

If you can't pay your employees a decent wage, then you aren't sustainable and shouldn't be employing people.

WhitegreeNcandle · 26/11/2025 12:31

AutumnLeavesandKnittedJumpers · 26/11/2025 12:17

Bollocks. Utter bollocks. If your business isn’t making enough to pay a liveable wage, it’s not a sustainable business

Show quote history

I wish people would stop quoting this. It makes me so angry. I produce something most people buy weekly. The supermarkets know our cost of production down to a T. A massive part of that is wages - they cost almost every our at NMW. We are on a contract that means as our costs go up so does what the supermarket pays us. A guaranteed margin if you will.

if NMW goes up the food you buy in the supermarket goes up.

i don’t disagree thy low paid workers should earn more but don’t tell me my business isn’t viable when it’s dictated to me how much to pay my staff.

I suspect in other industries they just outsource to cheaper parts of the world as well

AutumnLeavesandKnittedJumpers · 26/11/2025 12:31

ChardonnaysBeastlyCat · 26/11/2025 12:30

What are on about?

What rights when the companies go bust?

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Why do you think that running a small business is the be all and end all? If your business can’t pay a living wage it’s not viable.

Fleetheart · 26/11/2025 12:31

ChardonnaysBeastlyCat · 26/11/2025 12:30

What are on about?

What rights when the companies go bust?

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Staff are expensive - that’s the reality of running a business but there is no reason to exploit people

Original poster

Kilot · 26/11/2025 12:31

Littlebitpsycho · 26/11/2025 12:29

The problem is that constantly raising NMW (particularly for unskilled work) is that those wages are then getting closer to those of skilled work. If those skilled workers don't also get a pay rise (as they should if they're doing a job not just anybody can do) why would they bother?

On a societal level it makes it not worthwhile to study or train, if you end up no better off than someone working in Tesco. I am NOT saying there is anything wrong with working in Tesco, I am saying if NMW keeps rising, a Tesco worker will end up on similar wages as someone who has trained for years and is really making a difference (social work for example).

Why would anyone work a stressful, skilled job if they can take home the same money working in Tesco?

I don't know what the answer is, but constantly lifting the minimum wage isn't it 🤷‍♀️

The answer is that companies will have to increase those salaries too, or nobody will do them. This won’t happen overnight but it will in time.

OP posts:

AutumnLeavesandKnittedJumpers · 26/11/2025 12:30

Littlebitpsycho · 26/11/2025 12:29

The problem is that constantly raising NMW (particularly for unskilled work) is that those wages are then getting closer to those of skilled work. If those skilled workers don't also get a pay rise (as they should if they're doing a job not just anybody can do) why would they bother?

On a societal level it makes it not worthwhile to study or train, if you end up no better off than someone working in Tesco. I am NOT saying there is anything wrong with working in Tesco, I am saying if NMW keeps rising, a Tesco worker will end up on similar wages as someone who has trained for years and is really making a difference (social work for example).

Why would anyone work a stressful, skilled job if they can take home the same money working in Tesco?

I don't know what the answer is, but constantly lifting the minimum wage isn't it 🤷‍♀️

You’re so close to getting it. So close. People across the board should be paid more.

Fleetheart · 26/11/2025 12:30

BadgernTheGarden · 26/11/2025 12:29

The business has to pay the minimum wage, if the business can no longer afford that some staff may well end up on benefits.

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The business is not a viable one if it’s not paying a living wage.

Jellycatspyjamas · 26/11/2025 12:30

Coffeeandbooks88 · 26/11/2025 12:21

Unfortunately UC also raises the AET of how much you need to earn before having no work commitments every time they raise the MW. This means less UC etc so you aren't better off.

We need to move away from taxpayers subsidising employers so yes the AET should increase and UC payment lessen.

ChardonnaysBeastlyCat · 26/11/2025 12:30

AutumnLeavesandKnittedJumpers · 26/11/2025 12:23

You don’t have a right to underpay your workers just because you’re a “small business”

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What are on about?

What rights when the companies go bust?

Thechaseison71 · 26/11/2025 12:30

ShesTheAlbatross · 26/11/2025 12:27

It’s not “forcing” them to do that either. There would be a number of different ways for a company to deal with increased salary costs, one of which is reducing profits, another is raising prices, another is cutting staff.

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So it's better for the member of staff to have no job at all rather than however much less on minimum wage ( don't know what they are planning to raise it to)

Fleetheart · 26/11/2025 12:30

AutumnLeavesandKnittedJumpers · 26/11/2025 12:27

I genuinely don’t care that some businesses can’t afford to pay their workers.

Why are we more bothered by protecting business owners than the working class?

yes exactly. I have worked for several hospitality businesses and it’s only right that legislation forces them to pay living wages. They won’t otherwise.

BadgernTheGarden · 26/11/2025 12:29

Fleetheart · 26/11/2025 12:26

small businesses still have a responsibility to pay staff a living wage. Or do you think the government should support those people ?

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The business has to pay the minimum wage, if the business can no longer afford that some staff may well end up on benefits.

Littlebitpsycho · 26/11/2025 12:29

The problem is that constantly raising NMW (particularly for unskilled work) is that those wages are then getting closer to those of skilled work. If those skilled workers don't also get a pay rise (as they should if they're doing a job not just anybody can do) why would they bother?

On a societal level it makes it not worthwhile to study or train, if you end up no better off than someone working in Tesco. I am NOT saying there is anything wrong with working in Tesco, I am saying if NMW keeps rising, a Tesco worker will end up on similar wages as someone who has trained for years and is really making a difference (social work for example).

Why would anyone work a stressful, skilled job if they can take home the same money working in Tesco?

I don't know what the answer is, but constantly lifting the minimum wage isn't it 🤷‍♀️