How are we all coping?

[binky]

P

I admit that the unions did a good job when the workhouse's where prevalent and those with money took advantage of the poor with bad work conditions and no Health and Safety to speak of, but those days are long behind us, and it seems the unions now are just trying to run the country into bankruptcy, by demanding higher pay for their members during this time of massive inflation does only one thing, it fuels the inflation that we are trying to control.

Feels like we are going back to good old Victorian times. You also need to Google French working hours, coz you are talking drivel.

As for the unions, they aren't demanding pay rises, they are demanding pay rises in line with inflation rates, that isn't a pay rise, just maintaining the rewards for their skills and labour. I've increased my charges this year to maintain my earnings, why shouldn't other people, especially when the management keep getting high rewards? This is of course after 12 years of effective pay cuts, because below inflation pay awards are pay cuts, with many workers down by 20% of real earnings. You are also forgetting Brexit added 5.1% to inflation, a little fact the government doesn't like to mention coz it's all Putin's fault....

 

[Murdoch]

Seeing as we have reported job shortages, then why don’t people leave jobs and get better paid ones?

That’s what happened when I was young.

There were none of these tax free cash hand outs that DO slow social mobility

 

[binky]

Seeing as we have reported job shortages, then why don’t people leave jobs and get better paid ones?

That’s what happened when I was young.

There were none of these tax free cash hand outs that DO slow social mobility

And those job shortages are?

Most are minimum wage, care sector, hospitality sector and all those other jobs people are leaving in droves for better paid work for the likes of Tesco and Amazon. It's always bugged me how the jobs we have skill shortages of are never reported - tell me what they are and I might retrain. And of course a major skills shortage sector is building work, but the companies reporting the shortages are the big builders you and I don't want to work for, and with good reasons.

 

[Mike.J]

Feels like we are going back to good old Victorian times. You also need to Google French working hours, coz you are talking drivel.

Having worked and lived in France for ten years, I tend to have an insight into the up to date labour market as personnel experience (left in Feb) not some Google blog.

 

[Lull]

Seeing as we have reported job shortages, then why don’t people leave jobs and get better paid ones?

That’s what happened when I was young.

There were none of these tax free cash hand outs that DO slow social mobility

So, who ends up doing those lower paid jobs then? Someone needs to do them. But they need to be able to live. Cash handouts are effectively to employers who cannot… or often simply refuse to (due to their own greed) pay their workers a decent wage for work that needs doing.

 

[Murdoch]

So, who ends up doing those lower paid jobs then? Someone needs to do them. But they need to be able to live. Cash handouts are effectively to employers who cannot… or often simply refuse to (due to their own greed) pay their workers a decent wage for work that needs doing.

there are countless thousands of kids leaving university and college each year who think lower paid jobs are beneath them. They could do their bit

 

[Geoff1946]

there are countless thousands of kids leaving university and college each year who think lower paid jobs are beneath them. They could do their bit

That's the fault of those who pushed for everyone to be able to go to university. The result is a glut of non-academic youngsters with often useless qualifications, who would have been better leaving school and training in something practical.

 

[johnb2713]

I used to work in a school as the I.T. Network manager. One particular student sticks in my mind, he was 14 and did not want to be at school anymore, he was not the brightest pebble on the beach, he was good at practical things, very good at physical things and absolute nightmare academically. He constantly disrupted classes, tried to destroy my network and was a complete pain to all staff. Eventually he was allowed to leave into a small local building company, the owner of said company was shall we say a hard case. This young lad took several beatings from this said guy but kept going back for more. 2 years on he was one of the very best brick layers around, he went from strength to strength and he was really good. Later he started a scaffolding company and built that up, now 15 more years on he drives a Range Rover.

Sometimes, brats should be allowed to leave school at 14 and enter employment on a training scheme. We took on a Saturday lad in our I.T. shop, he spent every spare minute with us, all of his school holidays etc. He naturally did his work experience with and is still with us today having gone through a degree sponsored by us. This lad could have quite easily done a day release to gain the necessary university entry qualifications and worked with us from age 14 thereby not being a potentially disruptive student and gaining industry relevant experience.

 

[binky]

So, who ends up doing those lower paid jobs then? Someone needs to do them. But they need to be able to live. Cash handouts are effectively to employers who cannot… or often simply refuse to (due to their own greed) pay their workers a decent wage for work that needs doing.

Effectively tax payers subsidise the business. Just not right is it.

 

[binky]

I used to work in a school as the I.T. Network manager. One particular student sticks in my mind, he was 14 and did not want to be at school anymore, he was not the brightest pebble on the beach, he was good at practical things, very good at physical things and absolute nightmare academically. He constantly disrupted classes, tried to destroy my network and was a complete pain to all staff. Eventually he was allowed to leave into a small local building company, the owner of said company was shall we say a hard case. This young lad took several beatings from this said guy but kept going back for more. 2 years on he was one of the very best brick layers around, he went from strength to strength and he was really good. Later he started a scaffolding company and built that up, now 15 more years on he drives a Range Rover.

Sometimes, brats should be allowed to leave school at 14 and enter employment on a training scheme. We took on a Saturday lad in our I.T. shop, he spent every spare minute with us, all of his school holidays etc. He naturally did his work experience with and is still with us today having gone through a degree sponsored by us. This lad could have quite easily done a day release to gain the necessary university entry qualifications and worked with us from age 14 thereby not being a potentially disruptive student and gaining industry relevant experience.

Schools are pushed into the never ending quest for exam results to up their league status. I'm convinced this is making young people ill - all work and no play.

Whatever happened to technical schools?

 

[binky]

Having worked and lived in France for ten years, I tend to have an insight into the up to date labour market as personnel experience (left in Feb) not some Google blog.

Simple Google search reveals the standard working week is 36 hours with 1 hour a day for lunch unpaid. We supposedly work 38, but I've rarely seen employees actually work that much.

Big question is, are French workers happier and healthier than UK workers?

 

[Murdoch]

Effectively tax payers subsidise the business. Just not right is it.

I actually think that tax credits are the problem. If you are getting tax free handouts why would you bother to work extra hours or get a better paid job.

The hospital where the misses works, they can’t get the unskilled to do extra hours because they would lose the tax credit money - what a hopeless situation we are in.

It would be far better to allow such people to work a few hours extra before claw back occurs so they can actually benefit from doing some overtime. That’s how it worked pre tax credits

 

[binky]

I actually think that tax credits are the problem. If you are getting tax free handouts why would you bother to work extra hours or get a better paid job.

The hospital where the misses works, they can’t get the unskilled to do extra hours because they would lose the tax credit money - what a hopeless situation we are in.

It would be far better to allow such people to work a few hours extra before claw back occurs so they can actually benefit from doing some overtime. That’s how it worked pre tax credits

The benefits trap, awful isn't it.

I rather like the idea being trialed in other countries wherby everyone gets a minimum amount of money from the state, but are free to go earn more and keep that basic money. Gets rid of that awful trap, but provides the basic security everyone wants and needs to progress in life. From what I've read the system works well.

 

[Sharpend]

There was a time when you were taught that you would start at the bottom and work your way up, however due to stupid uninformed government decisions over the years to (dare I say to manipulate figures to their advantage) send the youngsters to university to do pointless degrees with said graduate expecting a better paid job from the off, forgetting that by increasing number of graduates available only led to a watering down of pay structure and quality of job.
I was always taught that less is more and more is less??

 

[Sharpend]

The benefits trap, awful isn't it.

I rather like the idea being trialed in other countries wherby everyone gets a minimum amount of money from the state, but are free to go earn more and keep that basic money. Gets rid of that awful trap, but provides the basic security everyone wants and needs to progress in life. From what I've read the system works well.

I always thought that it would be more prudent to give everyone a basic living amount that is relevant to cost of living, this way all are equal and can then choose to improve or remain? Surely this would be cheaper than the money paid in various benefits and the hit from stealth taxation?

 

[binky]

I always thought that it would be more.... prudent to give everyone a basic living amount that is relevant to cost of living, this way all are equal and can then choose to improve or remain? Surely this would be cheaper than the money paid in various benefits and the hit from stealth taxation?

As I see it, the benefits system is basically that, but with an awful lot of expensive admin. If you give people a stable platform, then they may work 1 day or full time to pay for a better life.

The tax system also promotes a minimum wage scenario in that you can earn X thousands before paying any tax

 

[johnb2713]

Schools are pushed into the never ending quest for exam results to up their league status. I'm convinced this is making young people ill - all work and no play.

Whatever happened to technical schools?

Sadly, schools are in an impossible situation. Education is impossible without discipline, discipline is impossible without respect or punishment. Many of the students came from families who did little to keep little Jimmy on the straight and narrow, said brat then had no respect for anyone or anything, disruptive and unruly in school. The staff have no tools at their disposal to bring little Jimmy back in line, the result is the moral decay of generations.

 

[johnb2713]

I actually think that tax credits are the problem. If you are getting tax free handouts why would you bother to work extra hours or get a better paid job.

The hospital where the misses works, they can’t get the unskilled to do extra hours because they would lose the tax credit money - what a hopeless situation we are in.

It would be far better to allow such people to work a few hours extra before claw back occurs so they can actually benefit from doing some overtime. That’s how it worked pre tax credits

It's too easy not to work, live on the handouts. Why do all of the refugees want to get to the UK...........? Because we give more than anywhere else.

 

[johnb2713]

The benefits trap, awful isn't it.

I rather like the idea being trailed in other countries whereby everyone gets a minimum amount of money from the state, but are free to go earn more and keep that basic money. Gets rid of that awful trap, but provides the basic security everyone wants and needs to progress in life. From what I've read the system works well.

I think their rents (if any) should be taken care of at a discounted rate from landlords, they should be issued with food vouchers for specific healthy food from major supermarkets. A minimal allowance for clothing, footwear etc (not designer brands). Nothing for cigarettes / alcohol but NHS prescription for nicotine patches if necessary. A minimal amount of cash, the vouchers can be used for free home delivery from supermarkets, a small allowance for mobile phone etc.

 

[binky]

I think their rents (if any) should be taken care of at a discounted rate from landlords, they should be issued with food vouchers for specific healthy food from major supermarkets. A minimal allowance for clothing, footwear etc (not designer brands). Nothing for cigarettes / alcohol but NHS prescription for nicotine patches if necessary. A minimal amount of cash, the vouchers can be used for free home delivery from supermarkets, a small allowance for mobile phone etc.

So bring back council housing. Should also bring back basic cooking skills in the school curriculum, I get fed up with the 'healthy food is expensive ' line.

Only trouble with the rest of your thoughts is that it involves a lot of administration, and is a bit too nanny state for my liking. I'll have a dig around the internet later and see if I can find a proper article on concept I'm trying to convey.