A fight's on to increase the minimum wage in Jersey.
The Employment Forum has recommended an hourly rate of £6.20, but Deputy Geoff Southern reckons that'll mean short-changing the island's lowest paid workers.
He's calculated the rate should be 8 pence an hour more and he's asking the States to take action. He says the lowest paid shouldn't bear the brunt of the recession.
Showing comments 1 - 8 of 8
Posted By: Notafanofgeoff trinity on 09-Feb-2010
Sorry push up minium wage is a big no as someone else commented many workers have had no increases at all and yes lost jobs ,a higher wage i'm afraid will mean more redundancies ,some of these on low wages do get benefits in kind depending on their job
Posted By: ross, St. Helier on 08-Feb-2010
Enforcing a minimum wage at a fair and equitable level is very important. The lowest paid suffer the most when the price of staple foodstuffs and other essentials increase, and there has to be a reasonable incentive (although I don't believe £6.20 qualifies as an incentive) to attract people to work. Paul's comment that it would cause some to fall above the tax threshold is a ludicrous argument against an increase and Marie's comment demonstrates a shocking level of ingenuousness and ignorance.
Posted By: Tony Paull St.Ouen on 08-Feb-2010
The minimum wage in the UK is now £5.80 p.h., if the cost of living in Jersey is 25% above UK rates then why isn't the minimum wage here £7.25, all the States are doing is what they always do -pay lip service to the people, but don't do anything that is morally correct.
Posted By: TheMoaningOldBugger on 08-Feb-2010
STOP knocking GS he always responds like this as he is always after the publice vote. he think it makes him look good but in the long run it will come back and bite him in the rear end!!!!
Posted By: The Cambridge Don on 08-Feb-2010
I agree with Geoff Southern. Let's increase the minimum wage. And have a town park. And buy Plemont. And when the bill comes in, and we realise we don't have the money, let's vote against a rise in GST so that we can claim to represent the "ordinary Islander".
Posted By: Marie, St Brelade on 08-Feb-2010
I dont see why the lowest paid should get an increase when nobody else had. We are all struggling! Many are actually losing jobs too.
Posted By: No Name on 08-Feb-2010
You put up the minimum wage and companies will put up the prices to cover the increase, then follows the rents for rooms, houses and flats go up to cover the increase.
So at the end of the day all will be the same. Grow up Jersey.
Posted By: Paul St S on 08-Feb-2010
Another typical kneejerk reaction for GS.
Increasing the minimum wage is going to push alot of low paid workers very close to the income tax threshold of £12,040, so workers would in fact be worse off. At £6.28 they'd only need to work 37 hours a week to fall foul.
Not to mention that many employers (at this time of recession) would be less likely to employ staff if the minimum wage rose.
Showing comments 1 - 8 of 8
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08/02/2010
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