Guest The Pom Queen Posted November 22, 2013 Share Posted November 22, 2013 Last week Maurice Newman, the chairman of Tony Abbott's Business Advisory Council, complained that Australia's minimum wage was far higher than that of Britain, the US and Canada.Those comments have aid agencies warning that slashing the minimum wage would create a class of working poor similar to that in the United States, where homeless shelters are overflowing with full-time workers. And sadly, there's another example of what that would look like for working families... At Thanksgiving, many stores hold canned food drives to collect for customers in need. But at a Wal-Mart in Canton, Ohio, the employees are the ones receiving charity. A photo making the rounds online shows several plastic tubs in an Ohio store with a sign that reads “Please donate food items here so Associates in Need can enjoy Thanksgiving Dinner.” The image, shared by the union-backed group OUR Walmart, is sparking criticism of Wal-Mart for paying its workers too little. There is growing discontent in the US at the low wages and poor working conditions at Walmart and in the last several weeks a number of strikes have been staged across the country, including at stores in California, Florida and Illinois. Australian Unions are fighting continually for fair wages, winning a 2.6% rise in the minimum wage this year, and working hard to prevent people like Maurice Newman from repeating the tragedy of America's working poor here in Australia. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted November 22, 2013 Share Posted November 22, 2013 I'm not sure how American CEO's sleep at night with their wage disparity Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jack13 Posted November 22, 2013 Share Posted November 22, 2013 I know people arent going to like this but I agree, its way too high. 25 bucks an hour, some people earn that a night in greece. Now I know Australia is expensive but its not really that expensive to warrent someone being paid that much. Truth be told if I got my degree, became a teacher and lived in England, there will be people cleaning toilets in Australia earning more a day than what I'll be on in the UK! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted November 22, 2013 Share Posted November 22, 2013 That's due to the exchange rate though. I doubt that was the case when it used to be 2.5. Can't really compare unless u include cost of living Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rupert Posted November 22, 2013 Share Posted November 22, 2013 That's due to the exchange rate though. I doubt that was the case when it used to be 2.5. Can't really compare unless u include cost of living The minimum wage in UK is about GBP6 an hour. That is not comparable to AUD25 no matter what exchange rate you use. If the minimum wage is really $25 per hour (and I have not checked it) then it does sound very high, it can work against people as well as for them. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest The Pom Queen Posted November 22, 2013 Share Posted November 22, 2013 I know people arent going to like this but I agree, its way too high. 25 bucks an hour, some people earn that a night in greece. Now I know Australia is expensive but its not really that expensive to warrent someone being paid that much. Truth be told if I got my degree, became a teacher and lived in England, there will be people cleaning toilets in Australia earning more a day than what I'll be on in the UK! Where do you get $25 per hour from, I really wish it was. It is $16.37 for adults over 21 An 18 year old it is $11.18 My son has just left school and is earning $7 an hour which is crap. http://www.fairwork.gov.au/PAY/NATIONAL-MINIMUM-WAGE/pages/default.aspx Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Peach Posted November 22, 2013 Share Posted November 22, 2013 minimum wage is not $25: [h=2]What is the current national minimum wage?[/h] The national minimum wage is currently $16.37 per hour or $622.20 per 38 hour week. Casual employees covered by the national minimum wage also get at least a 24 per cent casual loading. For award and agreement free junior employees, the percentage scale in the Miscellaneous Award 2010 is applied to the national minimum wage. http://www.fairwork.gov.au/resources/fact-sheets/conditions-of-employment/pages/minimum-wages-fact-sheet.aspx P.S. Am sure i read that the casual loading expires after time. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rupert Posted November 22, 2013 Share Posted November 22, 2013 Well then this seems like a perfectly reasonable minimum wage then. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest The Pom Queen Posted November 22, 2013 Share Posted November 22, 2013 In fact I just looked at the UK wage for under 18's and compared it to my sons and at todays exchange rate here he would be on 3.99 gbp and there he would be on 3.72gbp and with the cost of living here the Australian min wage is too low Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bobj Posted November 22, 2013 Share Posted November 22, 2013 And I used to get £5/10/0 a week in downtown Bradford... Cheers, Bobj. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BritChickx Posted November 22, 2013 Share Posted November 22, 2013 The minimum Paul's seen advertised for work is$18 but most have been $20-25 (for the jobs he's looking for) they better not lower it! I think it's great that it's a lot higher than the other countries. The UK's is definitely too low, wouldn't know about America or Canada. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Xenon4017 Posted November 22, 2013 Share Posted November 22, 2013 Australian Unions are fighting continually for fair wages, winning a 2.6% rise in the minimum wage this year And how is that working out for the car manufacturers in SA and VIC? Rather than campaigning for higher wages, they should try to work to create more jobs. This in turn would lead to higher wages because employers would have to offer more to attract the best people. As it stands the employer pays the legal minimum, and the employee is forced accept it because there's no alternative employment. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Keith and Linda Posted November 22, 2013 Share Posted November 22, 2013 And I used to get £5/10/0 a week in downtown Bradford... Cheers, Bobj. That's a while ago! Pounds shillings and pence!! it would be Rupees now I think:laugh: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
flag of convenience Posted November 22, 2013 Share Posted November 22, 2013 I know people arent going to like this but I agree, its way too high. 25 bucks an hour, some people earn that a night in greece. Now I know Australia is expensive but its not really that expensive to warrent someone being paid that much. Truth be told if I got my degree, became a teacher and lived in England, there will be people cleaning toilets in Australia earning more a day than what I'll be on in the UK! Don't like it as it is not a fact. The minimum wage is $16 +. A shame folk don't check out things before making false claims. Australia's minimum is high at the moment due to high dollar and the previous government supporting increases for workers. It will certainly not rise under the Cons (Liberals) to any great extent. In fact there is talk of keeping it as it is as inflation erodes its value. I suspect the onus will be lower wages all round once the new party get in their stride as dictated by business. Just a question of when and how. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
flag of convenience Posted November 22, 2013 Share Posted November 22, 2013 I'm not sure how American CEO's sleep at night with their wage disparity I imagine very well indeed. They go to sleep plotting how they can lower conditions further and get a fat bonus in the process. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bobj Posted November 22, 2013 Share Posted November 22, 2013 That's a while ago! Pounds shillings and pence!! it would be Rupees now I think:laugh: About 56 years ago, mate. Cheers, Bobj. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Andy Posted November 22, 2013 Share Posted November 22, 2013 I imagine very well indeed. They go to sleep plotting how they can lower conditions further and get a fat bonus in the process. Not trying to turn this into a Uk Oz thing but i would think they sleep much the same as the tossers who own big companies over here and pay their staff a disgraceful £6 an hour or whatever it is, they make me want to puke, i know you have to make a profit but it is ridiculous, our minimum wage i would think is at least a fiver an hour to low. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Andy Posted November 22, 2013 Share Posted November 22, 2013 Just had a quick look at the minimum wage for the UK and it is a massive £6.31 an hour, in October this year that went up 12p , i mean what an insult they may have well not bothered. By the way food prices are going up by 4.3% year on year and energy prices far more so how on earth is someone on minimum wage meant to exist without getting into debt? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
caramac Posted November 22, 2013 Share Posted November 22, 2013 Just had a quick look at the minimum wage for the UK and it is a massive £6.31 an hour, in October this year that went up 12p , i mean what an insult they may have well not bothered. By the way food prices are going up by 4.3% year on year and energy prices far more so how on earth is someone on minimum wage meant to exist without getting into debt? They don't. That's why food banks are so busy and companies like wonga are making a killing. Giving the poor affordable credit indeed (as was mooted this week) - give them a decent wage then they won't need credit. Zero contract hours don't help either. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Andy Posted November 22, 2013 Share Posted November 22, 2013 They don't. That's why food banks are so busy and companies like wonga are making a killing. Giving the poor affordable credit indeed (as was mooted this week) - give them a decent wage then they won't need credit. Zero contract hours don't help either. Yes those loan companies are something else with their interest rates, however they are not doing anything illegal, if this government had a pair they would sort it out and help those on a low wage instead of letting these sharks prey on the needy. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Petals Posted November 22, 2013 Share Posted November 22, 2013 They always seem to forget that in countries with lower minimum wage they also have a lower cost of living. Try renting on newstart at $200.00 a week. Yep that is what they get and $50.00 rent assistance. Never mind the food and cost of getting to a job interview. The restaurant owners really get me, why would people want to work long hours on the weekend when everyone is out to play if there was no reward like penalty rates. They shoot themselves in the foot too when they waltze around the place on celebrity pages and have their houses shown in the weekend rags as up for sale for this amount and that amount whilst bemoaning how poor they all are. If we are all prepared to take less, have our houses devalued, not be able to take a holiday then we can have low wages. But it will affect everyone. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LittleMissWildChild Posted November 22, 2013 Share Posted November 22, 2013 I think everyone who thinks the minimum wage is too high should first offer to take a proper cut in their own salaries. I bet most of them wouldn't want to take a chunk off their $80k/$100k/$200k salaries to increase employment etc... It's alright to suggest the poorest workers have their wage cut, but I bet it's not alright to have their own, even though many of these workers work just as hard, for long hours and do the jobs a lot of others won't do. It's just greed. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jdad84 Posted November 22, 2013 Share Posted November 22, 2013 I think everyone who thinks the minimum wage is too high should first offer to take a proper cut in their own salaries. I bet most of them wouldn't want to take a chunk off their $80k/$100k/$200k salaries to increase employment etc... It's alright to suggest the poorest workers have their wage cut, but I bet it's not alright to have their own, even though many of these workers work just as hard, for long hours and do the jobs a lot of others won't do. It's just greed. Fact is though, minimum wage covers a whole spectrum of jobs....of which you can walk in off the street, have no training, skills, specific knowledge or responsibility. Why should it be so high? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Peach Posted November 22, 2013 Share Posted November 22, 2013 Fact is though, minimum wage covers a whole spectrum of jobs....of which you can walk in off the street, have no training, skills, specific knowledge or responsibility. Why should it be so high? $16 an hour /$622 a week isn't high.... I would imagine people are already struggling to eat, stay warm, keep a roof over themselves at that level of wage. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
flag of convenience Posted November 22, 2013 Share Posted November 22, 2013 Fact is though, minimum wage covers a whole spectrum of jobs....of which you can walk in off the street, have no training, skills, specific knowledge or responsibility. Why should it be so high? It is hardly high, especially if the dollar falls back to earth at the level being aspired to. As Australia is more expensive than most other countries, could be a place to start with regards to answering your question. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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