Minimum Wage Increase 2024

kowloon

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121549150#Comment_121549150

Automation is good when it's replacing difficult or dangerous tasks. If we just need everyone doing busy work five days a week so they can earn their keep we could always round up all the unemployed and get them building roads to nowhere with hand tools only. Short of some agrarian utopia that the likes of Pol Pot would put in place, automation is going to continue to push people out of the workplace, society has to adapt and provide for everyone.

Keep on trying to move the bottom rung up, but the upper rungs are just going to keep getting higher, the lower rungs then get cut off and we end up with more unemployed because they are just not able to earn the wage demanded, it is easier to automate the role and oh look, a lost generation that can't get into housing, familiar that isn't it.

There's no set index controlling rates of pay. Raising the minimum wage doesn't guarantee a proportional increase for the highest paid. In fact, rather than the minimum wage pushing up the higher earners, it hasn't even managed to keep up, leading to a widening wealth gap. We could narrow that gap and make minimum wage enough to live on but it would require a government willing to piss off the wealthy. We don't have a generation who can't afford houses because we don't have enough jobs that pay unliveable wages.

Cheddar Bob

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121552353#Comment_121552353

Ah but shure sometimes he calls into the Galway city branches on busy nights and helps out apparently haha. Man of the people he is.

I actually saw him walking out of the O'Connell St branch a few months ago, probably noting down to see the staff were only giving X ml of red syrup the punters pay 30 cent extra for on their ice cream. 27 million profit and he's still inspecting the kitchens instead of having a trusted underling do it, some hungry man.

One thing you gotta hand to McDonagh, he makes his chips so inedibly bland you are forced to buy a curry or gravy just to swallow them.

Sonic the Shaghog

I always love the oul min wage or near it should only be for kids or entry level.

Ya sorry lads if that's the case every retail shop, betting shop, restaurant, cafe, petrol station outside of the largest of cities will have to close so, all staffed by people in their 20s to 60s.

My local shops would be closed Monday to Friday and only open on a Saturday when the students are back home from college. Wouldn't be able to get petrol or a bag of coal from the stations or co op either.

In fact scrap that, on looking at staff in the likes of Dunnes, Tesco, Supervalue I meet from Galway to Limerick most are 25+ they'd be on reduced hours if they relied on kids and entry level

Usually this type of whinge is lads in better jobs getting a sulk cause it means they'll have to fork out more. They want and expect yearly raises themselves but certain jobs and industries should somehow have stayed static at €10 an hour despite living costs going higher and higher each year.

It's actually frightening that some of these people have degrees, will refer to themselves as "educated" and can't critically think.

salonfire

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121548946#Comment_121548946

Breath-taking ignorance. Unbelievable that someone would have the cheek to wave away the substantial costs of insurance & rent.

And not even mention the costs of Employer PRSI; service providers like IT, cleaners, accountancy, maintenance; loan repayments; rates; increased minimum wage; sick pay; holiday pay; upcoming pension contributions.

You are saying these people decided to close businesses rather than continue to enjoy large profits?

https://www.irishexaminer.com/news/arid-41280388.html

Almost 50 food businesses closed this month as costs rise and demand falls

Quitelife

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121563174#Comment_121563174

The greed of energy companies and the extremely high rate bills ( for very little ) are the two biggest reasons far more so than minimum wage increases

SCOOP 64

This could cause problems for people on low wage and taking medication who have medical cards its a very tight margin to be over the threshold, hope the government as thought this through.

Mrs OBumble

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121558528#Comment_121558528

Statistics about the number of people actually earning minimum wage don't back up that claim.

Here's one source: https://www.esri.ie/publications/sub-minimum-wages-in-ireland#:~:text=In%20the%20same%20year%2C%205.6,equivalent%20to%20approximately%20120%2C000%20individuals.&text=According%20to%20employees'%20self%2Dreported,report%20earning%20a%20youth%20rate.

And the rate is decreasing: https://www.cso.ie/en/statistics/labourmarket/lfsnationalminimumwageestimates/

Viscount Aggro

I refuse to pay 13.50 for a meal in Supermacs.

That's near enough to a sit-down meal in a restaurant, with plates, cutlery etc.

It's not my problem if VAT has changed, minimum wage is gone up.

He needs to reduce his costs... Hit the landlords, reduce staff numbers, squeeze his suppliers.

People's incomes have not gone up to match his prices. No way I would pay more than 7 or 8 euro.

JVince

What's the anti McDonagh attitude for!

He VERY CLEARLY stated that the minimum wage increase was deserved and warranted.

It was the one increase he had no issue with.

Maybe people just can't be arsed to read past a headline?

Quitelife

why does a man making 27 million last year have to charge his staff for crap uniforms they have to wear ??

salonfire

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121563631#Comment_121563631

If they are so greedy, why are they cutting prices?

https://www.thejournal.ie/sse-airtricity-electricity-rates-decrease-6246351-Dec2023/

And if as you say energy prices are hurting small businesses, why is the Government imposing additional costs on them?

Sonic the Shaghog

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121563843#Comment_121563843

Does it account for all those who get a whopping 20 to 50 cent extra an hour more than minimum wage in most of these areas tho ;)

Yakov P. Golyadkin

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121563922#Comment_121563922

He's a hungry c**t.

Why is he waiting for the government to introduce a new minimum wage before increasing the wage he offers?

salonfire

It's funny how the crocodile tears flow for the minimum wage workers on these threads but the same people pour into the euro and discount shops when THEY want to save money, knowing the staff there are on minimum wage.

Sonic the Shaghog

Not sure what the moaning from the restaurants, cafes and hotels is for now.

Can't start whining about the minimum wage they were ripping off left, right and centre last 12 to 18 months. Every dog on the street could tell you the way things were going with their pricing the bubble was going to burst. They were the first ones with their hands out for tax payers money during COVID and turned around gouged the pubic first chance they got. We all know damn well most industries here are jacking up prices far more than they actually need to, retailers especially.

The country is starting into what I'd call a "silent recession", people can't keep up with prices going up like mad across everything and getting zero to maybe a paltry 2/3% raise. The economy took a minor dip into the negative and leprechaun economics were fiddled to say we aren't. Gov probably terrified the R word will scare the general public **** less after last time and they'll really cut back. A gov claiming things are fine but the hospitality industry out whinging about reduced demand, doesn't compute

It won't be the last area we'll hear of demand cutting back. The only thing saving construction at the moment is people so desperate for a roof over their heads they'll max themselves up to their eye balls in debt. Take a look at the forum with construction quotes there, builders looking for the price of a new build for handy extensions etc

Things had to start giving some way.

kowloon

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121564124#Comment_121564124

Everyone is a libertarian, or at least thinks about it, when they're asked to pay more in the full knowledge that others won't. We expect the government to regulate employers because, in reality, we'd never control their worst excesses with our wallets.

Quitelife

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121564088#Comment_121564088

https://www.irishtimes.com/business/2024/01/02/its-not-worth-the-heartache-the-independent-cafes-closing-down-under-cost-pressures/#:~:text=After%20six%20years%20in%20business,the%20town%20in%20recent%20weeks.

salonfire

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121564891#Comment_121564891

Thanks for proving my point for me. The government should not be increasing the costs under government control at this time. Small businesses have enough costs as it is.

Wanderer2010

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121548098#Comment_121548098

Is it that bad to work for Supermacs? Just curious, dont know anyone who works there.

enricoh

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121552353#Comment_121552353

Set up your own fast food business, pay your staff what you deem acceptable and report back in a year.

If mcdonagh is a pure scum employer how on earth does he have staff working for him at a time of full employment with every second shop and restaurant with staff shortages? Does he lock them in the cold room at night?

Costs of employing min. wage employees are going up 30% over next 2 years with various schemes, rises etc. government keep lobbing it on as they have raised welfare so much now working is unattractive.

It's gonna be a bloodbath in restaurants/ hospitality but I bet mcdonagh will still be standing

JVince

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121565152#Comment_121565152

Business electricity and gas has dropped dramatically.

Small business market rate with energia is about 25c a unit including all charges (called pass through charges - similar to standing charges on domestic)

Gas unit rate in Dec on same plan (available to all small businesses) was 7.1c including all charges.

These are similar to 2021 costs.

Other places in Newbridge closed due to landlord issues. The kola issue is she catered to a miniscule market that has shrunk further - vegan. If she at least went vegetarian, she'd have a chance.

But everyone wants to blame someone else when some of the blame is their own

Rubberchikken

I wish the staff in our ALDI and lidls actually moved.

They are so slow they make the staff in our local Dunnes look like rockets.

If they have targets of 1000 scanned items an hour or whatever, the memo didn't reach them.

One person where I work left lately for a job in her local Lidl. Her starting wage would be much better than our hourly rate and she could work days which she couldn't get with us.

Allinall

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121566937#Comment_121566937

No it’s not too bad.

Don’t listen to begrudges who are jealous of anyone who’s successful.

Just have a look at the Ryan Tubridy thread.

elperello

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121566937#Comment_121566937

I don't eat Supermacs food because I can do better.

My advice to prospective employees is based on the same principle.

Anyone prepared to work in catering and put up with the unsocial hours etc. can do better.

Maybe as @Allinall says "it's not too bad" and if you're stuck it might be ok as a stopgap.

Starfire20

if you get payed the minimum wage, the employer is basically telling you they'd pay you less if they could.

they moan about how a small increase in the min wage will bankrupt them or lead to job cuts etc.

some neck to expect the employees with the least to subsidise your business.

thinkabouit

I remember working for a meat factory in 2013 for €8.65 ph

€12.70 is a big jump in 10 year’s. If you can’t make a living off that you need to have a word with yourself

L1011

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121563689#Comment_121563689

The full medical card threshold is tiny, anyone working full time on minimum wage was already vastly over the limit.

I suspect that the full medical card is not long for this world; GP Visit changes + further cuts to DPS are likely to replace for everyone except those who have it on medical needs bases. GP Visit limit was raised twice in 2023 alone.

kowloon

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121567838#Comment_121567838

Rent has also jumped a fair bit in the last 10 years. I also hear food, fuel, electricity, and Fabergé eggs have gone up considerably too.

salonfire

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121548946#Comment_121548946

Go tell this cafe owner on the verge of tears on national radio about her large profits.

https://www.newstalk.com/podcasts/highlights-from-the-pat-kenny-show/why-are-cafes-across-the-country-closing

Nothing more nauseating than reading from someone curled up and snuggled comfortably under the comfort blanket of the State pontificating about the actual realities for many people on the ground.

I say that as someone who has no connection to any SME, but I'd never be as blinkered and out of touch as this post of yours.

RobbieV

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121576176#Comment_121576176

Jump on over to the public sector pay talk thread and youl see threats of strike if no bumper raises given.

No related to productivity, efficiency etc

Just because . Different planet in the real world