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minimum wage

  • 23-07-2010 12:00PM
    #1
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 23 denisodwyer


    what is the minimum wage for an 18 year old, first time of work?


«13

Comments

  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 10,798 ✭✭✭✭DrumSteve


    €8.65 I think...


  • Closed Accounts Posts: 5,207 ✭✭✭meditraitor




  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 10,798 ✭✭✭✭DrumSteve




  • Closed Accounts Posts: 5,207 ✭✭✭meditraitor


    €6.95 is brutal,


  • Closed Accounts Posts: 52 ✭✭chilloutman


    the minimum wage should be a lot lower and hopefully it would create a few more jobs what ya think?


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  • Closed Accounts Posts: 52 ✭✭chilloutman


    and of course social welfare should be lowered as well


  • Closed Accounts Posts: 5,207 ✭✭✭meditraitor


    and of course taxes/net should be increased/widened to include the young bucks on €6.95


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 154 ✭✭crazyFeet


    you must be on social welfare then? if you are not on what do you base your comment? i work myself, and i wouldn't be able to live for the social welfare pay as it is just too low. have friends who do and they can't even afford to come down to dublin for my bday this week cuz they are all broke (rent, insurance...)


  • Closed Accounts Posts: 18,163 ✭✭✭✭Liam Byrne


    crazyFeet wrote: »
    you must be on social welfare then? if you are not on what do you base your comment? i work myself, and i wouldn't be able to live for the social welfare pay as it is just too low. have friends who do and they can't even afford to come down to dublin for my bday this week cuz they are all broke (rent, insurance...)

    You're not meant to "live" on Social Welfare; you're meant to survive until you can get a job.


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 1,161 ✭✭✭Ren2k7


    I remember working a couple of years ago around the time the minimum wage was increased to 8.65. The minimum wage i was getting prior to that i thought was quite generous and certainly enough to do me. Then again i was working roughly 45 hours a week. Now that we all have reduced living costs (lower rent, food costs, etc) a case could be made for reducing the minimum wage.


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  • Closed Accounts Posts: 18,163 ✭✭✭✭Liam Byrne


    Ren2k7 wrote: »
    Now that we all have reduced living costs (lower rent, food costs, etc) a case could be made for reducing the minimum wage.

    In fairness, that's an over-simplification.

    Some things have gone down, but many have gone up significantly, at the very least counter-balancing those reduced - including fuel, insurance, tax, etc.


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 666 ✭✭✭deise blue


    Thankfully for all those earning the minimum wage IBEC one of the most influential voices when it comes to agreeing the minimum wage have stated that ther are not seeking any reduction rather they are suggesting that a freeze applies.


  • Posts: 15,055 ✭✭✭✭ [Deleted User]


    crazyFeet wrote: »
    you must be on social welfare then? if you are not on what do you base your comment? i work myself, and i wouldn't be able to live for the social welfare pay as it is just too low. have friends who do and they can't even afford to come down to dublin for my bday this week cuz they are all broke (rent, insurance...)


    You want them to travel for your birthday. Hardly a surprise they're all 'broke' ;)


    Anyway, I don't think minimum wage should be touched. 8.65 isn't a bad wage to be on (as someone on social welfare, I wouldn't say no to it) but at the same time, it's hardly amazing either. What is it? €335 or thereabouts for a 39 hour week?


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 755 ✭✭✭sealgaire


    whatever about reducing social welfare, min wage etc, Rent allowance should be scrapped completly


  • Closed Accounts Posts: 2,345 ✭✭✭doolox


    Why scrap it?

    Rent allowance is paid to accomodate people who have no other means to afford housing.

    In many cases the real beneficiaries are the owners, usually the banks, of the houses being rented.

    The only other alternative the government would have would be to build and rent houses like they used to do in the last century, Local Authority housing.

    This ended up costing them an arm and a leg and causing social problems by concentrating all poor people in one area where they could be readily identified and discriminated against by the moneyed classes and left in the ****. Also having no positive role models in full-time employment as neighbours must have worked wonders for the abilities of the young inhabitants of these housing estates to get work......

    Maintenance for these houses was all done by heavily unionised and expensive local authority employees and also cost an arm and a leg. Today the private houses being rented have to be maintained by the landlord out of his own resources and often by him or her self in order to attract and maintain tenants and keep the bank loan paid.

    Rents received since the downturn do not meet the costs of providing the house and maintaining it.

    Since 2008 the Government have imposed a charge of €200.00 pa on all investment property regardless of how much of the property is owned by the owner, now often negative, the earnings of the owner, many of whom have lost their jobs, or the trading position of the house, often a loss.

    The government realise they are losing tax revenue since 2008 because most buy to let housing is now operating at a loss. They also realise that most owners are trapped and cannot sell off their houses to escape from this new imposition. There is nothing to stop the government increasing this new tax until they are kicked out in the next election.

    If you were to abolish rent allowance many more properties would be abandoned as their owners would have no income with which to pay their loans. Many people would become homeless and clog up the emergency shelter, B and B etc system such as it exists in this country ( minimal).
    You could even have the case of bank pursuing former owners for the monies due on their rental properties by taking possession of their principal residences, forcing them to become homeless as well.

    Rents received do not meet the loans outstanding on most homes and there is now a large subsidy being paid out by landlords in the hope of surviving the bad times and making an income in the good times. THe hope of most is to have a modest pension in the future when they can no longer work in the formal economy. Even this is now begrudged to them.


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 10,798 ✭✭✭✭DrumSteve


    how the **** did this end up on rent allowance? How has that got anything to do with the minimum wage???

    Happens all the time. mad annoying this derailing ****e. :mad:


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 4,157 ✭✭✭Greyfox


    DrumSteve wrote: »
    how the **** did this end up on rent allowance? How has that got anything to do with the minimum wage???

    Happens all the time. mad annoying this derailing ****e. :mad:

    Well it would be unfair to reduce the minimum wage without reducing the generous SW we give people due to the fact that some people on the minimum wage aren't that much better off then people on SW.

    And if SW is to be reduced many people think Rent allowance would be a good place to cut. If it was reduced or done away with completely it would automatically reduce the average cost of rent for everyone that's paying rent


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 1,161 ✭✭✭Ren2k7


    Liam Byrne wrote: »
    In fairness, that's an over-simplification.

    Some things have gone down, but many have gone up significantly, at the very least counter-balancing those reduced - including fuel, insurance, tax, etc.

    The only thing that's really gone up regarding consumer spending is fuel, mainly thanks to tax increases and more on the way most likely. From personal experience i've seen my car insurance fall significantly as well as rental accommodation prices plummet.

    Ireland has the second highest minimum wage levels in the EU, yet we're in a deflationary economy. Small businesses are feeling the brunt of high wage costs forcing many out of business so reducing the minimum wage would be a major boost to the economy.


  • Closed Accounts Posts: 2,487 ✭✭✭Mister men


    the minimum wage should be a lot lower and hopefully it would create a few more jobs what ya think?
    Oh for feck sake. How in God's name can someone survive on 8.65 an hour. I thought the minimum wage was at least 10 quid an hour.


  • Closed Accounts Posts: 2,487 ✭✭✭Mister men


    Ren2k7 wrote: »
    The only thing that's really gone up regarding consumer spending is fuel, mainly thanks to tax increases and more on the way most likely. From personal experience i've seen my car insurance fall significantly as well as rental accommodation prices plummet.

    Ireland has the second highest minimum wage levels in the EU, yet we're in a deflationary economy. Small businesses are feeling the brunt of high wage costs forcing many out of business so reducing the minimum wage would be a major boost to the economy.

    Love to know where you shop. My insurance,rent,food bills,fuel costs have all gone up in the last couple of years. I think we are seeing a huge push from the higher paid captains of industry to lower the wages of the working man throughout the country. It's disgusting.


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  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 1,161 ✭✭✭Ren2k7


    Mister men wrote: »
    Love to know where you shop. My insurance,rent,food bills,fuel costs have all gone up in the last couple of years.

    I'm not sure why you would be paying more for goods and services apart of course for fuel, especially with falling prices.

    The one thing i learned from the days of the rip off republic was to shop around as much as possible. I would often get motor insurance renewals from my existing insurer that would be higher than what i would already be paying so i'd simply switch to a different provider. I've never renewed with the same insurer.

    I also generally only shop at lidl and aldi. There are a lot of bargains to be had these days with falling prices across the board. The Irish have became used to high wages resulting in a loss of competitiveness to other countries and if we are to bounce back then we'll all, unfortunately, have to work for less.


  • Closed Accounts Posts: 2,916 ✭✭✭RonMexico


    It is way too high, as is social welfare. There is nothing special about Ireland to warrant the rate of either.

    Now I do feel that the recently unemployed deserve support, they have earned that. BUT there is a whole section of society in this country who are long term social welfare users, they are professional spongers and contribute nothing to the country.

    The amount of people I know on social welfare who are going on not one, but two foreign holidays this summer is fcukin ridiculous. Then they have the cheek to complain about the amount of social welfare they get, after spending most of it every week on their ration of fags, booze and drugs. This country has allowed a whole section of society to sponge off the hardworking people. Enough is enough. If you don't believe me then just stand outside any off-license on social welfare day - you can pick them out with their bags of Carling.

    They should be taken out back and shot like rats.
    They are vermin and should be treated as such.


  • Closed Accounts Posts: 370 ✭✭wiseguy


    Liam Byrne wrote: »
    In fairness, that's an over-simplification.

    Some things have gone down, but many have gone up significantly, at the very least counter-balancing those reduced - including fuel, insurance, tax, etc.

    Actually the things that went up as per last few CSO inflation reports

    are Energy, Health and Education

    All are controlled to a large degree by the state and unions


    But of course as a Labour supporter you miss that vital point (deliberately?) ;)


  • Closed Accounts Posts: 8,390 ✭✭✭The Big Red Button


    Mister men wrote: »
    Oh for feck sake. How in God's name can someone survive on 8.65 an hour. I thought the minimum wage was at least 10 quid an hour.

    Assuming it's full-time hours, how could someone not survive on it? :confused:

    You're not going to have the most extravagant lifestyle, but you could definitely live comfortably on it. And it works out at well over a hundred euro more a week than you'd get from SW, and plenty of people manage to survive on that.


  • Closed Accounts Posts: 2,487 ✭✭✭Mister men


    Assuming it's full-time hours, how could someone not survive on it? :confused:

    You're not going to have the most extravagant lifestyle, but you could definitely live comfortably on it. And it works out at well over a hundred euro more a week than you'd get from SW, and plenty of people manage to survive on that.
    Live comfortably on it.:confused:
    Okay let's say you are "lucky" enough to work a 39 hour week at minimum wage
    337.35 a week wages before tax and PRSI.
    Your rent is 1100 a month for an average 1 bedroom city apartment (253 a week)
    That leaves between 70-75 a week for food,cloths,social life,electric,gas,pension contribution,phone etc...
    That's comfortable now is it. It's no wonder people just stay on the dole with wages like that what with the rent paid etc....
    What we need is a lowering of social welfare and hiring of the minimum wage to make it worthwhile for people to go out and work. Lowering the minimum wage is just pissing in the wind.


  • Closed Accounts Posts: 8,390 ✭✭✭The Big Red Button


    Mister men wrote: »
    Live comfortably on it.:confused:
    Okay let's say you are "lucky" enough to work a 39 hour week at minimum wage
    337.35 a week wages before tax and PRSI.
    Your rent is 1100 a month for an average 1 bedroom city apartment (253 a week)
    That leaves between 70-75 a week for food,cloths,social life,electric,gas,pension contribution,phone etc...
    That's comfortable now is it. It's no wonder people just stay on the dole with wages like that what with the rent paid etc....
    What we need is a lowering of social welfare and hiring of the minimum wage to make it worthwhile for people to go out and work. Lowering the minimum wage is just pissing in the wind.

    If you are on minimum wage, you will not be spending 1100 a month on rent, that's just ridiculous. Maybe 400-500 max for a house share.

    I'm on just slightly above the minimum wage, and I spend 550 on rent for a very very nice city centre apartment that I share with one friend. I also run a car, go on holidays, go shopping, and have a social life. As well as paying all my bills.

    You have to be careful and budget your money, but it's definitely doable. I would consider myself to have a relatively comfortable lifestyle.


  • Banned (with Prison Access) Posts: 6,485 ✭✭✭Denerick


    Mister men wrote: »
    Live comfortably on it.:confused:
    Okay let's say you are "lucky" enough to work a 39 hour week at minimum wage
    337.35 a week wages before tax and PRSI.
    Your rent is 1100 a month for an average 1 bedroom city apartment (253 a week)
    That leaves between 70-75 a week for food,cloths,social life,electric,gas,pension contribution,phone etc...
    That's comfortable now is it. It's no wonder people just stay on the dole with wages like that what with the rent paid etc....
    What we need is a lowering of social welfare and hiring of the minimum wage to make it worthwhile for people to go out and work. Lowering the minimum wage is just pissing in the wind.

    I wouldn't pay 1100 a month on rent if I was a multi millionaire. Thats ludicrous money to be paying.

    Shop around and you will get a box room in Dublin for 250 a month. 340 a week is good enough to live on. Just don't expect to go on too many foreign holidays and get used to shopping in Lidl.


  • Closed Accounts Posts: 1,914 ✭✭✭danbohan


    €6.95 is brutal,


    absolutely agree its far too high .


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 2,892 ✭✭✭Head The Wall


    Mister men wrote: »
    Live comfortably on it.:confused:
    Okay let's say you are "lucky" enough to work a 39 hour week at minimum wage
    337.35 a week wages before tax and PRSI.
    Your rent is 1100 a month for an average 1 bedroom city apartment (253 a week)
    That leaves between 70-75 a week for food,cloths,social life,electric,gas,pension contribution,phone etc...
    That's comfortable now is it. It's no wonder people just stay on the dole with wages like that what with the rent paid etc....
    What we need is a lowering of social welfare and hiring of the minimum wage to make it worthwhile for people to go out and work. Lowering the minimum wage is just pissing in the wind.
    Not everyone lives in Dublin, you also have to live within your means and if you are on minimum wage and spending 1100 on rent you are doing it all wrong. You're not entitled to live like you are expecting to if thats all you earn


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  • Closed Accounts Posts: 717 ✭✭✭rubberdiddies


    Mister men wrote: »
    Live comfortably on it.:confused:

    What we need is a lowering of social welfare and hiring of the minimum wage to make it worthwhile for people to go out and work. Lowering the minimum wage is just pissing in the wind.

    If minimum wage was increased, many many many more businesses will go to the wall, resulting in a lot less jobs.

    In my opinion if min wage was lowered, it might encourage companies to take on some more staff, which in turn puts more money in peoples pockets and more money back into the economy.

    If people arent happy with minimum wage then they should look to retrain themselves (if at all possible) to get away from minimum wage, however it is certainly enough to live on (provided you dont expect to spend it on cigarettes, too much drink, drugs or gambling)! :)


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