Min wage £10 per hour?

Pink I think you're tarring all employers with the same brush here.

I agree Tax Credits have a part in keeping wages low. I thought they were flawed to begin with. But I don't think all employers rely on employees to top up their income on tax credits.

So many factors come into it like Troll just said "Our rent and rates increases, the tax we pay increases, our suppliers get more expensive." This is so very true. The amount of money shop owners have to make before they even open the doors is eye watering. I don't know how they survive tbh.

The Public Sector don't rely on tax credits. Their staff wages are lower so your council tax doesn't rise and your services aren't cut (although to be fair you wouldn't think so!)

I think everyone is feeling the pinch somewhere and it's too simple to just say "employers rely on tax credits." A lot of employers aren't rolling around in money whilst the minions are hard at work.

Some of the wealthiest people I know are owners of care homes and nurseries

I am pretty certain that many of these businesses could shoulder the burden of increasing their staffs wages.

Similarly if the minimum wage is increased then all staff up to a certain point e.g national average salary should also get an increase. How on earth is it fair that a person who is highly trained and experienced only earns marginally more than someone at entry level.

A £10 minimum wage is £2.50 more than the current minimum wage.

So if we assume an eight hour day, £20 more a day.

£100 more a week.

Yes, that is a living wage.

I guess it's nicer for the employers to rely on tax credits though. Except if you don't have children, you'll struggle.

Worth mentioning that I only get paid more than my staff members because I work more hours.

A £10 min wage would mean I'd have to let go of one of my members of staff. Things are tight as it is. I love them all so how would I choose who goes?

Our rent and rates increases, the tax we pay increases, our suppliers get more expensive.

For what was once a 'Nation of Shopkeepers'; it's becoming impossible to continue.

It all smacks of how dare those unskilled plebs earn a decent wage to me.

Some of these comments do sound a lot like that. I have a degree and work as a teaching assistant in a secondary school. I earn £8.40 an hour. Not everyone on low money is unskilled

underfunded

Exactly, it's not the local governments fault they are being unfunded so they are using their budgets accordingly. Unfortunately that means lower wages for employees

Lots of companies could afford to pay their staff more, I agree, and don't depute that. I just hope when they put up wages for mw workers they also put up wages for staff at the higher levels too.

I don't just think it's wages that are part of the problem with companies. I know for my brothers (small) business, cost of raw materials doubled in a few short years meaning to just make the product, it was costing double. I know that the wage bill was always the highest outgoing and he certainly isn't rolling around in money in his ivory tower!

I believe thats part of the idea with the national investment bank and the regional 'bank of the north' is to help SME's with their business model but ultimately if your business relies on paying people a low wage to allow yourself to make a profit then meh try a different model

Lots of companies could easily afford to pay their workers £10 MW instead of expecting their employees wages to be topped up by tax credits

Seems to me that some of you want to keep the low paid down.

It all smacks of how dare those unskilled plebs earn a decent wage to me.

I agree, people are so bloody selfish.
What about having the companies make less profit and spread it to the employees instead, now there's a novel idea.

Why put up the council tax if the local government is being adequately funded and not deliberately underfunded as it currently is?

Surely this is being rushed in? It hasn't been thought through properly. Yes we would all like NMW to be £10, but what about the nurse on £11.20 etc.

I do agree rent needs to be capped!

Justanotherposter I suppose all those local councils benefitting in cheap labour could just put the council tax up so the staff are higher paid.

Some of the parents at my dcs school are moaning that the cost of the meals has gone up (meals provided by company funded by local council). Erm, local councils don't just grow money on trees to pay staff...

If you stop looking at it in isolation then it makes a little more sense in my mind, £10 an hour minimum wage, added to capped energy and rent, means more people have more money in their pocket which in turn stimulates the economy further, more people employed more tax revenue but with people feeling in more control of their life, but yes those who currently benefiting from others cheap labour will no doubt come on and tell us how ruined the country will be because of it

I'm a small business owner, increasing the NMW would cost me over £36000 a year, which is a very large chunk of profit...pp who says prices would rise because businesses are only interested in profits - well obviously, wouldn't be much point if I couldn't make money from my business!

Small businesses will not be able to meet the increased payroll. They will either lay off some staff or go bust. This is the sector I work in so yes, this is a statement based on fact and previous experience. It's a great idea in principle, but business owners cannot afford it.

AnitaPallenbergsKnees

You are spot on, goods have a price limit. Therefore wages will have a limit too.

Forcing companies to pay staff more will definitely cause some to fold

It depends what you consider to be a highly skilled job. I think caring for the elderly and disabled. Looking after children to be highly skilled. Both often only paid at MW.

I am on the care sector. I am on just over the minimum wage. I work in a responsible role working with people with severe mental health conditions. I am very well trained. My wage won't go up unless the government/local authority give more money to the organisation I work for. I feel I should be able to live on my wage. Tax credits have helped many people but they are in effect a subsidy to big businesses that don't need to put their staff's wages up whilst tax credits exist.

It's okay to say that all companies will have to put their prices up but what happens when those products could then be made much more cheaply abroad?
With the auto enrolment and loss of sick pay recovery small businesses are having a tough time already.Raising the mw could just about finish some off altogether.

stupid autocorrect puts mw as me!

It's the same as the bank holiday saga, it will only benefit those who are on annual leave plus BH not annual leave inc. BH

If you're in an unskilled profession, then great. If you're in a mixed profession then not great.

As it stands at the moment, a lot of skilled jobs will not be earning much more than mw when it