Politics Today

[Anonymous]

Maybe now the lazy unemployed council house dwellers will be able to get a job in Starbucks. Just a shame they wont be able to afford to buy any fruit or veg in the supermarket.

 

[tavyred]

It is remarkable how many left leaning ‘commentators’ on here are prepared to see it from the business standpoint on immigration and see a situation where wages are driven down by the continuance of unfettered low skilled inward migration.

 

[tavyred]

Maybe now the lazy unemployed council house dwellers will be able to get a job in Starbucks. Just a shame they wont be able to afford to buy any fruit or veg in the supermarket.

Oh Anonymous.
Why do you hate your own countrymen so?

 

[manc grecian]

It is remarkable how many left leaning ‘commentators’ on here are prepared to see it from the business standpoint on immigration and see a situation where wages are driven down by the continuance of unfettered low skilled inward migration.

Does this mean the government is going to dramatically increase the living wage?

 

[tavyred]

Does this mean the government is going to dramatically increase the living wage?

The hope is that a better trained, more productive and ultimately smaller workforce will encourage employers to pay more.

 

[Anonymous]

Oh Anonymous.
Why do you hate your own countrymen so?

Because they are lazy and expect to be treated like little princes. Not universally of course but put it this way, I havent pushed to promote many Brits within my company.

 

[Anonymous]

The hope is that a better trained, more productive and ultimately smaller workforce will encourage employers to pay more.

I'm not paying more, just moving project bases abroad. Taking capital out of UK and putting it into Romania, Senegal and India as we speak.

Just to explain: I have a finite capital budget, why would I spend it on projects with a low rate of return and uncertain future. Better to spend it in places where I get more bang for my buck and high IRR.

 

[Jason H]

Does this mean the government is going to dramatically increase the living wage?

Ours is, or at least was at last look, 2nd highest in Europe.

 

[Grecian2K]

It is remarkable how many left leaning ‘commentators’ on here are prepared to see it from the business standpoint on immigration and see a situation where wages are driven down by the continuance of unfettered low skilled inward migration.

I do hope that you aren't including me in that sweeping generalisation there Tavy!

Hold on to your hat but believe it or not, to some extent I'm in accord with you on this! I certainly agree that business could and should take a bit more share of the economic pain - especially all those self-congratulatory fat-cat "captains of industry and commerce" who might consider giving each other inflation-busting personal pay rises year after year.

But the fact remains that the "race to the bottom" has been going on for many, many years. Even despite the introduction of the minimum wage many of the lowest paid are on zero hour, precarious contracts with no guarantee at all of a sure annual salary.

The worst offenders in this respect have tended to be the care, hospitality, agricultural and (to a certain extent) construction sector. Making the matters worse in many of these areas the work is either zero-hours and/or extremely seasonal making any chance of being able to guarantee the proposed ANNUAL earnings requirement.

The other offensive thing in Priti Vacant's cunning plan is the complete refusal to recognise any vocational qualifications as an alternative to a "PhD". Is some spotty faced oik with a degree in PPE or Media Studies really that much more valuable to society that those hard-working folk (regardless of nationality) who pick your daily vegetable or care for your elderly relatives in the care home for peanuts?

 

[Grecian2K]

The hope is that a better trained, more productive and ultimately smaller workforce will encourage employers to pay more.

So using unemployment as the principal lever in a "prices & incomes" policy then?
How very 70s.