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The Forum > Article Comments > Minimum wages and jobs: The overseas story > Comments

Minimum wages and jobs: The overseas story : Comments

By Ian Watson, published 20/4/2005

Ian Watson examines the impact of minimum wage increases in other countries

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I have always wondered whether increasing the minimum wage would cause massive job losses as employer groups have claimed.

As a contrast, given the huge payments to CEO's both when they are successful and when they totally stuff up, what ramifications have their generous incomes had on the job market?

I mean if CEO's didn't get paid so much then surely there'd be more available for the lower end of the wage scale. And I don't buy the 'pay peanuts get monkeys' 'coz I've worked for more than a few over paid monkeys. Besides a decent living wage would provide a lot more incentive for workers - I know it works for me.
Posted by Xena, Wednesday, 20 April 2005 5:41:17 PM
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Very "too" wordy article. Coming from an employment law background, just who funded you to write what is so der.. anyway. Or dug out an old assignment? Fund yourself to explore the squillions of dollars for CEO payouts in Aust. which more than surpasses any minimum wage increase potential disasters as Xena so rightly points out. That would be less tired. The reason why tips in the US hospitality industry are almost mandatory is because their minimum wage is below the poverty line in a trailer park. Overseas where minimum wages have to do with what the big fat factory (ie Nike) are prepared to pay to the govt in question - not the workers mind, which is precisely why we in Aust have a shortage of skilled workers, manufacturers moving off shore and cheap imports that we can still afford in Oz on Centrelink payments. A minimum wage increase in Indonesia (with workers probably having to go on strike to get to $2.50 an hour minimum) would most likely threaten the offshore company (likes of Nike) enough to pack up and move to Korea where they have negotiated the labour with that govt. for $1.69 per hour. Everybody benefits but the worker - that's why we as a country have to have a safety net. Driven by the market, we'd all be pieceworking for 50 cents a garment. All very well if your rent is $2.50 a week.
Give me minimum wages or give me poverty! (which is nearly the same now) Stop disecting the small end of town and go after the big guys - author!
Posted by Di, Wednesday, 20 April 2005 9:08:16 PM
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A business needs a certain number of employees to run efficiently, you still need this number regardless of what you must pay them. Most businesses in this country work with the bare minimum of staff as it is and couldn’t afford to make jobs redundant, this is particularly so in the small business sector. I wouldn’t expect an increase in the minimum wage to adversely effect employment figures.

Any wage increases must, by necessity, be passed onto the consumer. Has a study been done on whether an increase in minimum wages has an effect on the inflation rate?
Posted by bozzie, Wednesday, 20 April 2005 11:37:58 PM
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Lets put the minimum wage up to $80 per hour so we can all drink more booze after 5 o'clock. Then everybody will be prospereous and happy. Oh and tell Santa I would like a red bike this year.

Of course regulating minimum wages puts pressure on employment. It makes alternatives to labour more appealing and viable over time. The straw that broke the camels back did not do so immediately. The camel did try and stand a while longer just so the statisticians could gather some more data
Posted by Terje, Thursday, 21 April 2005 12:01:33 AM
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So terje, you think that the minimum wage should remain unliveable? You have nothing to say about the squillions paid out to the top end?

There really is enough money for a liveable income if the over wealthy were just a little less greedy. I know I will be attacked for such radical 'socialist' views, but no one on this planet is worth millions per annum, where as with out the 'coal face' worker our economy would collapse.

Just think if overnight, every CEO, leader, director, polly vanished from the face of the earth. Electricity would still flow, gas would still be supplied, planes, trains and automobiles would still run - sure the stock market would go into a panic being the abstraction it is. But we would still have a workable world.

Now I'm not suggesting we don't need our esteemed leaders, just that they are not as big a part of the equation as they like to believe. Wage disparity is the culprit here.

And terje, $80 per hour is unrealistic for all - I know you were just trying to make a point, but it was rather ham fisted.

The reason that the lower end is always pilloried is simply because it can be - lower levels don't have the ears of parliament or big business.
Posted by Xena, Thursday, 21 April 2005 6:42:58 AM
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Terje, your comment is a nonsense. Of course one has to have balance in wages but as Xena so rightly points out, the big end of town get paid obsene amounts of money with no accountability, yet everytime the living wage comes around, we have the govt and employers screaming about how it's going to ruin the economy and send us all broke. Yet the govt has no qualms about quietly giving themselves pay rises and perks. Whilst we are stuck living in a capitalist society, we do have some socialist responsibilities such as ensuring workers are not paid below a poverty line, which is constantly upping itself thanks to introductions of more taxes and levies ad nauseum. The Harvester Case is still relevant!
Posted by Di, Monday, 25 April 2005 9:49:31 AM
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