So if the Minimum Wage increases...

[missbunnyrabbit]

My own wage in a public sector job seems lower than ever. The article I read suggests the public sector pay freezes will end, but I doubt we'll get such a large pay rise!

Aibu to feel like packing my teacher job in to go and work a minimum wage job instead?

Wages are not and have never been a reward for hard work. It's a reflection of the added value you can bring to a market and the negotiating position you can take to get your percentage of that added value. That's why union jobs pay better than comparable non union jobs -- your negotiating position is stronger.

It's got nothing to do with effort. It's entirely to do with power.

If loads of teachers leave their jobs and take up shelf stacking at ASDA, the wages of teachers will probably rise, if their job is actually necessary and valuable. So I say go for it.

I am paid approxiimately 76 times what I 'earned' as a family carer. My job is, comparatively, an absolute doddle. Salary really has got nothing to do with effort, or virtue. It's just a measure of social power.

[quote missbunnyrabbit]@LittleBearPad

Actually I'm nearly 27, went to uni late and am three years into teaching.

Im actually sat here reading this with my boyfriend, we can't believe how deluded some of you are.

Are you saying that it would be OK for doctors and amazon workers to earn similar amounts? After all, they both work hard?[/quote]
Actually for quite a long time my cleaner earned more per hour than me (dr). She was working hard too. She deserves to be able to eat too.

I also earned more per hour in med school (working in admin) than I did for the first few years as a dr. I find it hard to feel bitter about that, too.

If my wage dropped to NMW tomorrow I’d still not be choosing to work as a care assistant over my current job.

But of you’re sure your life would be easier and better, may as well make the change now I suppose.

Minimum wage has increased massively beyond the rate of inflation. Increasing it so quickly drives up the cost of living and threatens the viability of smaller employers. It's not a silver bullet.

@Explosivefarts

Sorry, but I think those furloughed SHOULD be the ones to pay most of it back. Not massive amounts, not all of it. But it infuriates me to think of people (cough ex-boyfriend cough) sitting at home, binge watching TV, whilst still getting 80%, while key workers like me are slogging our guts out and putting ourselves at risk of covid.

I don't want to hear 'we're all in this together'. No, I'm sorry, it's been MUCH easier for those sat at home than it has for us still working, still at risk, and doing more than our usual workload.

It's not their fault that they're furloughed. But life's not fair. I have nothing but envy for those sitting at home who work for big chains and are still guaranteed a job when they go back

Oh fuck off with this. Furloughed people had no choice in the matter. If someone was furloughed who didn't need to be, the company should pay it back, not the employee. And by the way, not all of us going out to work were key workers either, I go out to work and I'm not a key worker in any sense.

Sorry, but I think those furloughed SHOULD be the ones to pay most of it back. Not massive amounts, not all of it. But it infuriates me to think of people (cough ex-boyfriend cough) sitting at home, binge watching TV, whilst still getting 80%, while key workers like me are slogging our guts out and putting ourselves at risk of covid.

I don't want to hear 'we're all in this together'. No, I'm sorry, it's been MUCH easier for those sat at home than it has for us still working, still at risk, and doing more than our usual workload.

It's not their fault that they're furloughed. But life's not fair. I have nothing but envy for those sitting at home who work for big chains and are still guaranteed a job when they go back

It actually scares me that people are this stupid.

*If the jobs that don't need such education or training, and have much less stress and workload, are paid closer and closer to what trained professionals earn, then why would anyone choose to be a trained professional? Unless they genuinely loved the job.

I love a lot of things about my job, but if I am to be paid barely peanuts more than someone in a supermarket, I'd rather do that! Life is not worth the stress (and yes, I have worked in a huge, busy supermarket and it was much much easier than my current job)*

They really have got you where they want you, haven't they ? The nations with less inequity have so much better outcomes all round. I am also a doctor who worked 50 hr weeks for !£200 pm after travel and childcare.It's not a race to the bottom.

I think you should definitely go for it OP.
You’re right, life’s too short, so quit teaching at Christmas and go live your best life cleaning McDonalds. You’re ahead of the game here, best do it quick before everyone else is rushing to do the same.

@BrilloPaddy

As a small business owner, I'm all ears as to where this 6.6% is going to come from. And how I then deal with my more skilled staff who are also going to want the same increase.

If you can't afford to pay your staff a living wage your business isn't viable.

Absolutely the pits, isn’t it.

Lazy, greedy, selfish Britain. God I’m ashamed. No wonder the Tories are in power, we deserve them don’t we.

@Notashandyta

This thread is one of the bleakest reads on mn I've ever read

Replying to this^

If you’re unhappy about your teacher wage, tell the union you want to strike for more pay. Why should you work for less money

That should read it's not a race to the bottom.

In a teaching job you presumably have an annual wage and set hours.

If you were in a minimum wage job you could easily be contacted for zero hours.

It is a misnomer that a person on minimum wage is earning 40 hours at that rate.

You would be competing with a large number of people for the hours you want and need to live on.

Even with the rise it is still below the living wage. Presumably as a teacher you are earning the living wage?

Teaching is a unionised job which gives you collective bargaining power to ask for, and possibly get pay rises. You could vote for strike action if you think the upcoming public sector pay rise is not enough.

Most minimum wage jobs have no union.

I agree that the public sector have been shafted by the pay freeze but you really shouldn’t take it out on the poorest in society.

I don’t know what you imagine min-wage work to be like but it is as hard as a ‘normal’ job and often physical. I’m guessing as a teacher you also don’t have to put up with people shouting at you all day. (Although many parents don’t sound very enlightened)

Threads like this are insulting and as an educated person you should think twice about posting this nonsense. Why not simply post about your own role, work load, and lack of remuneration instead of belittling others?

Lazy, greedy, selfish Britain. God I’m ashamed. No wonder the Tories are in power, we deserve them don’t we

We do get the government we deserve

If we’re not happy with wages, don’t stop those at the bottom having an increase. Concentrate efforts to achieve your own increase

Prices for goods are increasing as inflation is rising now

Interest rates also set to rise. This is going to add £200 to the monthly bill for an average home and without wage increases people will get into debt

Aibu to feel like packing my teacher job in to go and work a minimum wage job instead?

Yes. Go ahead and try it, with it's lack of security, often backbreaking physically exhausting work and unpleasant sometimes dangerous conditions, nowhere near as much time off as you get, no pension, only statutory sick pay, often no union protection, very little chance for career progression and no government schemes recognising your key worker status to subsidise you to get onto the housing ladder.

Then you'll soon realise how lucky you people with in the public sector really are, even if you think you should be worth more in terms of actual salary.

OP, if you’re going to stick it out in teaching you need to forget about the money.

I’ve been teaching 22 years. My first salary was just under 15k and I will have suffered much longer than you under pay freezes. I’m now at the top of pay scale but my salary won’t increase as I don’t want TLR (before children I did but dropped it after my second child). This isn’t a ‘woe is me’ post, my point is there is OPPORTUNITY to increase your salary in teaching. I could apply for TLRs now but I don’t want the added responsibility. Those on NMW haven’t the opportunity to increase their salary, unless they want more hours and often the hours aren’t there.

Teaching is tough and at tired times (like end of half term!) I think ‘why?’ but doesn’t everyone feel this way about their jobs when they’re tired and over worked?

Tbh, as a teacher I’m more depressed about Covid working conditions rather than a NMW worker getting a few pence more (which will no doubt be eaten up by higher taxes etc elsewhere).

@garlictwist

Minimum wage has increased massively beyond the rate of inflation. Increasing it so quickly drives up the cost of living and threatens the viability of smaller employers. It's not a silver bullet.

If it has gone up massively above inflation then it would be the same as the living wage wouldn’t it? i.e. enough to live on!

The minimum wage is not some benefit that you are kindly bestowing upon your workers. They are earning it through work.

Employers like you disgust me. And with such a low grasp of basic economic concepts I’m surprised you are able to run a business at all.

My own wage in a public sector job seems lower than ever.

What is it exactly? And how long have you been teaching?

@Willow231

I work in a nursery. I am responsible for making sure a room full of toddlers are happy, cared for, have stimulating activities, have nutritious food to eat, have clean nappies, sleeps etc. Have been to college to earn my childcare qualifications, first aid, food hygiene and child protection trained. I do observations and write up reports for the parents on how their child is progressing. This just a small list of what is expected if me, and doesn't include all the demands and stress from those higher up.

I earn £8.91an hour. I feel thoroughly depressed that there are people who think I don't deserve any more than this because I am 'unskilled'.

You deserve so much more.

If anything you deserve to be on a package close to, if not the same, as teachers. Looking after and helping pre schoolers develop is REALLY important, tough and very skilled work.

Problem is funding. I already pay £65 a day, I can't afford more. If prices went up I'd have to pull my children out as fees would be higher than my salary. But despite all the noise we make the government won't give more funding.

@Feelingoktoday

You really cannot compare the salary of a teacher to someone on minimum wage. Have you ever worked in a job with minimum wage? For a start a teacher works 39 weeks while minimum wage works 48 weeks - considerable difference even if teachers work in the holidays. Both are tough jobs but minimum wage jobs are sole destroying.

We need to increase wages so that tax credits can stop. It’s wrong that a couple can work but still need help from the state. All we are doing is funding shareholder dividends and company profits.

Have you ever been a teacher? 39 hours per week 🤣😂 my contracted hours were 40 per week. Then the marking, planning, events, parents evenings etc… during term time it was probably closer to 60 hours and then during the holidays it was expected that you’d run at least one day of catch up.

YABU to begrudge a move to help those who maybe on zero hour contracts some increase in wage that may help with rising inflation. I am worried about eg childcare businesses if funding is not appropriately increased. It is not a race to the bottom. Those in public sector roles often have very good pensions, job security, sick leave etc as benefits.

I do think teachers really earn their money by the way, but there are plenty in the public sector who are just on an absolute gravy train and wouldn't last 2 minutes in the private sector.

@Tilltheend99 teaching was unionised. Academisation has removed the ability for unions to create any real change. Some of the schools near me, refuse to acknowledge unions.

I really don’t want to argue with people who think the healthiest economy is one where we’re all scrapping by barely able to afford anything.

I will say that the most stressful jobs I’ve had were minimum wage jobs.

Have you ever been a teacher? 39 hours per week 🤣😂 my contracted hours were 40 per week. Then the marking, planning, events, parents evenings etc… during term time it was probably closer to 60 hours and then during the holidays it was expected that you’d run at least one day of catch up.

True. But that is more than compensated for by the sheer amount of holiday you get. The job itself is full on while you are actually in school, but looked at across the whole year teachers don't work harder or longer than everybody else.