scoobe Posted January 5, 2006 Share Posted January 5, 2006 I hear that Bernard Moffatt has taken his ball back and doesn't wish to be associated with the committee that are currently looking at the minimum wage. His reason appears to be because they don't much like his idea of hiking it up 40%. I find it hard to reason that someone who is supposed to looking after workers rights is trying to make us all unemployed in the future. If the base rate goes up 40%, everyone on any salary is going to want a 40% rise, to maintain their "pay differential" to the lower paid grade of jobs. Then businesses will relocate to areas with cheaper labour, or go bust, or put their prices up massively to pay for the rise. Then inflation rises steeply, then the T&G argue that the minimum wage needs to be increased to pay for the inflationary increases on the Island and it all starts again. Am I right in thinking that the T&G Mr Moffatt, is the same Chairman of Mec Vannin, Mr Moffatt? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GD4ELI Posted January 5, 2006 Share Posted January 5, 2006 I hear that Bernard Moffatt has taken his ball back and doesn't wish to be associated with the committee that are currently looking at the minimum wage. His reason appears to be because they don't much like his idea of hiking it up 40%. I find it hard to reason that someone who is supposed to looking after workers rights is trying to make us all unemployed in the future. If the base rate goes up 40%, everyone on any salary is going to want a 40% rise, to maintain their "pay differential" to the lower paid grade of jobs. Then businesses will relocate to areas with cheaper labour, or go bust, or put their prices up massively to pay for the rise. Then inflation rises steeply, then the T&G argue that the minimum wage needs to be increased to pay for the inflationary increases on the Island and it all starts again. Am I right in thinking that the T&G Mr Moffatt, is the same Chairman of Mec Vannin, Mr Moffatt? AKA Moaner Moffat - God I am sick of hearing his voice on Manx Radio Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tel Posted January 5, 2006 Share Posted January 5, 2006 Moffat the man with too many hats. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Slim Posted January 5, 2006 Share Posted January 5, 2006 If the base rate goes up 40%, everyone on any salary is going to want a 40% rise, to maintain their "pay differential" to the lower paid grade of jobs. Then businesses will relocate to areas with cheaper labour, or go bust, or put their prices up massively to pay for the rise. Then inflation rises steeply, then the T&G argue that the minimum wage needs to be increased to pay for the inflationary increases on the Island and it all starts again. Get with the programme. He's on the left! He doesn't care about any differential. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
simon Posted January 5, 2006 Share Posted January 5, 2006 If the base rate goes up 40%, everyone on any salary is going to want a 40% rise, to maintain their "pay differential" to the lower paid grade of jobs. Then businesses will relocate to areas with cheaper labour, or go bust, or put their prices up massively to pay for the rise. Then inflation rises steeply, then the T&G argue that the minimum wage needs to be increased to pay for the inflationary increases on the Island and it all starts again. Get with the programme. He's on the left! He doesn't care about any differential. Nope. Maintaining the 'wage differentials' is part of what the British unions have always been about. Including those on the left. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ian rush Posted January 5, 2006 Share Posted January 5, 2006 AFAIK, he's Celtic League rather than MV Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cholmondley-Warner Posted January 5, 2006 Share Posted January 5, 2006 The Manx Independent today reports that Ronaldsway Aircraft are looking to cut their work force due to a need to cut costs, Strix recently moved a big chunk of production to China for the same reason losing some 50 Manx Jobs and Ronaldsway Shoe closed down completely when production moved to China with loss of 160 Manx jobs. Unfortunately we compete in a global market and it would be very easy to price ourselves completely out of that market by increasing minimum wages by 40%. Whilst Mr Moffats sentiment is admirable and it would be great allround if the Manx business community could sustain such a huge increase, I fear that such a move would be counter productive and mean the loss of yet more jobs and cause a downward spiral in the Manx economy. Where does he think this additional pay will come from? only one place - the end user. Manx inflation is already significantly higher than that of the adjacent Island and this move would force it up even more. I am already paying over the odds for petrol, gas and electricity as well as food, housing and many other commodities, Moffatts call means that any pay increase will be quickly swallowed up by dramatic price increases at the counter - catch 22? There has to be some balance between common sense and the ideals of Moffatt, sadly he seems to lack this balance and is totally blinkered by his own beliefs. His petulance by refusing to sit in on talks with Government over the matter gives him lttle credibility and would not appear to be in the best interests of the workers he purports to represent. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cheesemonster2005 Posted January 5, 2006 Share Posted January 5, 2006 I hear that Bernard Moffatt has taken his ball back and doesn't wish to be associated with the committee that are currently looking at the minimum wage. His reason appears to be because they don't much like his idea of hiking it up 40%. I find it hard to reason that someone who is supposed to looking after workers rights is trying to make us all unemployed in the future. If the base rate goes up 40%, everyone on any salary is going to want a 40% rise, to maintain their "pay differential" to the lower paid grade of jobs. Then businesses will relocate to areas with cheaper labour, or go bust, or put their prices up massively to pay for the rise. Then inflation rises steeply, then the T&G argue that the minimum wage needs to be increased to pay for the inflationary increases on the Island and it all starts again. Am I right in thinking that the T&G Mr Moffatt, is the same Chairman of Mec Vannin, Mr Moffatt? Mr Moffatt is one of the few people who genuinly care about the island above their own interests. As well as Mec Vannin he's also the spokesperson for the Celtic League. The arguements you've raised about the side effects of an adequate raise in the minimum wage are nothing more than a tired arguement echoed by the Tories when Labour first introduced the minimum wage in the UK. The hourly wage on Mann is higher than the UK and it's important that we lead the way with a minimum wage which is respectful to all workers. A minimum wage of around 7.50GBP (which I guess Moffatt is suggesting) is a rate which is enough for people to survive on. Why would everyone want a 40% raise - it doesn't work like that. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dontlookbehindyou Posted January 5, 2006 Share Posted January 5, 2006 I think Cheesemonster is right. Mr Moffatt is one of the few people on the island I would turn to and get help. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
scoobe Posted January 5, 2006 Author Share Posted January 5, 2006 It does work like that, its human nature, and its already been raised on the island when the corporation manual workers got a big raise. To simplify, if the tea lady gets paid 5.50 at the moment, and you get 7.50, suddenly the tea lady is going to get 7.35, you feel you are worth more than 15p an hour extra than the tea lady, as before you were worth £2 more, so therefore you deserve 9.35 (please forgive the sterotypes). And the minimum wage is already higher here than the UK, and you get more in your pay packet here due to the tax rates. Its a base rate, not a nice average rate, a base rate, an absolute minimum. As for the Tory pop, you are way off the mark, its economics, and common sense. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dontlookbehindyou Posted January 5, 2006 Share Posted January 5, 2006 Well perhaps the people who have the £2 difference need to come down a peg or two. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cheesemonster2005 Posted January 5, 2006 Share Posted January 5, 2006 Well perhaps the people who have the £2 difference need to come down a peg or two. Good point. I don't suggest that everyone earns the same but an ideal would be to make sure the differences between wages become narrower not wider. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dontlookbehindyou Posted January 5, 2006 Share Posted January 5, 2006 Exactly, why do people get on their high horses and think they are more valuable than the next person? A lot of these low paid jobs keep the world ticking over without them who would dispose of your rubbish, keep your streets clean, deliver your paper and milk, serve you your cigarettes? all this class system has to stop. Everyone is entitled to a decent standard of living. It's just the rich dishing the poor as per usual. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mollag Posted January 5, 2006 Share Posted January 5, 2006 I dont think differentials means much to the guys on the lowest of incomes, living on an island of inflated living expenses. People cite the high costs over here are because of transport etc yet if it is suggested that low wages should be raised to a livable standard for the same reasons it is shouted down. The IOM is an expensive place to live, this should be reflected at all levels of employment, not only in the white collar section. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
scoobe Posted January 5, 2006 Author Share Posted January 5, 2006 STRIKE DEMANDED BY ANGRY CIVIL SERVANTS "Frank Allen, national secretary of the union Prospect, said the offer has made civil servants feel they are valued less than other public-sector workers, such as manual staff, who were recently given a 5 per cent deal backdated to April 1 and a guaranteed 4 per cent or inflation-matching boost next April. He said civil servants want to see parity with their colleagues" Its a lovely communist idea that everyone gets paid equal (ish), but it doesn't happen, what one person gets, the next person wants/demands. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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