On Sat, 17 Feb 2018 11:51:05 +0000, Fredxx wrote:

snip

The labour market used to determine wages, but when there is an influx
of workers into the work force who consider the minimum wage many times
their expectation,

But what of those companies who wouldn't exist were it not for those
people willing (and able) to survive on such wages? A local company
employed about 30 people, some were immigrant / migrant workers and on
whatever wage the Co considered (as you say) appropriate for those
roles. Then the minimum wage came in, first 50% of the staff were laid
off and then the company went down the pan. So, you could say that in
that case the minimum wage cost everone their jobs, even the managers
and owners etc.

Maybe they should have asked those working if they wanted to carry on
with a job on low wages, or have no job at all?

The thing is, if you are working 10 miles away for minimum wage or a
short walk away for less, you could still *actually* be better off
getting less than the MW.

Brexit happens.

Whatever that is.


However employers offering the minumum wage are not offering a job
sufficient for all their employees to happily meet their financial
commitments no matter what they are. An employer is not responsible
for your financial affairs.

Why do they need to offer more, when they don't have to?

Quite. And by not doing so they may remain viable (continuing to pay
workers who may be very happy with their lot) and allow the (UK)
company to remain viable against offshore competition with cheaper
labour.

snip

I really can't see the difference (however it may sound) between *not*
employing people over here and paying offshore workers to do it for
less (that you would if you did employ people to do it here) or
employing people happy and willing to work for less in the first
place?

Either way offshore people are getting paid and locals aren't and so
leaving the EU isn't going to change that as more money will be paid
to offshore workers instead.

At least then we can all get jobs on the minimum wage servicing the
robots they install to be able to afford to make the stuff here again.

Cheers, T i m