Minimum wage for lgv £15 per hour

UK PROFESSIONAL DRIVERS FORUMS THE UK PROFESSIONAL DRIVERS FORUM (INTERACTIVE)
141

Why-O-Why do people still take a job as Truck driver, sign the contract, agree with the wages on offer and than moan about it■■? :unamused: :unamused: :unamused:

And why, such and such make much more only as a student, only 37.5 hours per week, only in the office from 9 till 5, only filling shelves in a supermarket, only working at McDonalds■■? :unamused: :unamused: :unamused: :unamused:

Why don’t you do something about it, and change job, moaning, whinging etc. doesn’t change anything.
Why don’t you leave the industry and get one of these “fantastic paid jobs”, go work in the office, supermarket, hospital, MacDonalds (other fast food chains available)■■?

Why not, the industry will not change, it has always been an industry where you could make money if you put the hours in, so WHY DO YOU NOT MOVE ON, AND STOP BEING MISSARABLE DAYDREAMERS■■?

142

caledoniandream:
Why-O-Why do people still take a job as Truck driver, sign the contract, agree with the wages on offer and than moan about it■■? :unamused: :unamused: :unamused:

And why, such and such make much more only as a student, only 37.5 hours per week, only in the office from 9 till 5, only filling shelves in a supermarket, only working at McDonalds■■? :unamused: :unamused: :unamused: :unamused:

Why don’t you do something about it, and change job, moaning, whinging etc. doesn’t change anything.
Why don’t you leave the industry and get one of these “fantastic paid jobs”, go work in the office, supermarket, hospital, MacDonalds (other fast food chains available)■■?

Why not, the industry will not change, it has always been an industry where you could make money if you put the hours in, so WHY DO YOU NOT MOVE ON, AND STOP BEING MISSARABLE DAYDREAMERS■■?

Open your eyes to other peoples dilema’s. FFS. Who want’s to work more than 37.5hrs/week■■?

143

caledoniandream:
Why-O-Why do people still take a job as Truck driver, sign the contract, agree with the wages on offer and than moan about it■■? :unamused: :unamused: :unamused:

And why, such and such make much more only as a student, only 37.5 hours per week, only in the office from 9 till 5, only filling shelves in a supermarket, only working at McDonalds■■? :unamused: :unamused: :unamused: :unamused:

Why don’t you do something about it, and change job, moaning, whinging etc. doesn’t change anything.
Why don’t you leave the industry and get one of these “fantastic paid jobs”, go work in the office, supermarket, hospital, MacDonalds (other fast food chains available)■■?

Why not, the industry will not change, it has always been an industry where you could make money if you put the hours in, so WHY DO YOU NOT MOVE ON, AND STOP BEING MISSARABLE DAYDREAMERS■■?

Very good point.

And I can guarantee you that if most truckers will leave the industry, the companies will start paying more - maybe even this 15 per hour. Simply law of supply and demand :slight_smile:

144

orys:

Solly:
Of course there is something wrong with the wages system.

But until ALL truckers stick together for a better deal - then you have this [zb].

It’s not only about truckers. If truckers suddenly start get 15 pounds per hour each, everything will be more expensive, putting other people’s lifes to lower standard.

Off course (in theory) we can start pay everyone 15 per hour (because why not?) but the only effect will be inflation

Welcome to the good old fashioned prices and incomes and pay differential issues of the 1970’s.Wages only need to rise in answer to price increases.At present ‘everyone’s’ wages are lower in real terms relative to prices than they have been and prices continue to outrun wages.Which is exactly where we’ve been ever since Callaghan and Thatcher defeated the unions.

The issue of what truck drivers are worth compared to every one else is a totally different issue.

The fact is though if the economy continues on a path of lower wages relative to prices it’s inevitable that it will collapse at some point.

145

Carryfast:

orys:

Solly:
Of course there is something wrong with the wages system.

But until ALL truckers stick together for a better deal - then you have this [zb].

It’s not only about truckers. If truckers suddenly start get 15 pounds per hour each, everything will be more expensive, putting other people’s lifes to lower standard.

Off course (in theory) we can start pay everyone 15 per hour (because why not?) but the only effect will be inflation

Welcome to the good old fashioned prices and incomes and pay differential issues of the 1970’s.Wages only need to rise in answer to price increases.At present ‘everyone’s’ wages are lower in real terms relative to prices than they have been and prices continue to outrun wages.Which is exactly where we’ve been ever since Callaghan and Thatcher defeated the unions.

The issue of what truck drivers are worth compared to every one else is a totally different issue.

The fact is though if the economy continues on a path of lower wages relative to prices it’s inevitable that it will collapse at some point.

The “Economy” collapsed in 2008.
The effects will last for decades unless the electorate say otherwise.

146

Carryfast:
Welcome to the good old fashioned prices and incomes and pay differential issues of the 1970’s.Wages only need to rise in answer to price increases.At present ‘everyone’s’ wages are lower in real terms relative to prices than they have been and prices continue to outrun wages.Which is exactly where we’ve been ever since Callaghan and Thatcher defeated the unions.

The issue of what truck drivers are worth compared to every one else is a totally different issue.

The fact is though if the economy continues on a path of lower wages relative to prices it’s inevitable that it will collapse at some point.

OMG! Me and Carryfast have the same opinion on something (well, except from Thatcher and Callaghan, I don’t know much about British politics of this time, so I stay indiferent on this).

To celebrate this unheard-of event, I will make myself a drink - Żubrowka with apple juice and a slice of cucumber. (After all I am not so bad off, I work in transport and can afford Żubrówka at British prices :wink: )

147

caledoniandream:
Why-O-Why do people still take a job as Truck driver, sign the contract, agree with the wages on offer and than moan about it■■? :unamused: :unamused: :unamused:

It doesn’t matter what job you do it doesn’t take a mathmematician to understand that if you sign a contract this year and prices increase next year then you’ll need a pay rise next year to match or a bit more if you want the economy to keep growing.If the economy doesn’t grow and people’s spending power reduces year on year then the same applies to the demand for goods and services in the economy as a whole which includes loads for trucks.Which means redundancies followed by even less demand for goods and services and therefore more supply of labour and less demand so even less to spend and less taxes coming in which means more tax increases.Which means more borrowing and more bankruptcies.

Added to which we’ve got east european labour coming in increasing the supply of labour and therefore reducing wage levels even more.

148

orys:

Carryfast:
Welcome to the good old fashioned prices and incomes and pay differential issues of the 1970’s.Wages only need to rise in answer to price increases.At present ‘everyone’s’ wages are lower in real terms relative to prices than they have been and prices continue to outrun wages.Which is exactly where we’ve been ever since Callaghan and Thatcher defeated the unions.

The issue of what truck drivers are worth compared to every one else is a totally different issue.

The fact is though if the economy continues on a path of lower wages relative to prices it’s inevitable that it will collapse at some point.

OMG! Me and Carryfast have the same opinion on something (well, except from Thatcher and Callaghan, I don’t know much about British politics of this time, so I stay indiferent on this).

To celebrate this unheard-of event, I will make myself a drink - Żubrowka with apple juice and a slice of cucumber. (After all I am not so bad off, I work in transport and can afford Żubrówka at British prices :wink: )

Orys suffice to say that after Callaghan had zb’d the unions by trying to limit WAGE rises in a stupid attempt to halt PRICE LED inflation Maggie then came in and finished the job by creating mass redundancies by factory closures etc and importing goods instead.You should have been here to see the ‘recession’ and unemployment levels that lot caused.The place has never really recovered since.Not surprising considering the trade deficit,loss of spending power in the economy,and loss of tax revenues all added to by the EU wanting more money to give to the east europeans and the east europeans coming here because our wages look/looked good relative to zb east european commie prices.

149

Carryfast:
Orys suffice to say that after Callaghan had zb’d the unions by trying to limit WAGE rises in a stupid attempt to halt PRICE LED inflation Maggie then came in and finished the job by creating mass redundancies by factory closures etc and importing goods instead.You should have been here to see the ‘recession’ and unemployment levels that lot caused.The place has never really recovered since.Not surprising considering the trade deficit,loss of spending power in the economy,and loss of tax revenues all added to by the EU wanting more money to give to the east europeans and the east europeans coming here because our wages look/looked good relative to zb east european commie prices.

Thanks for that explanation, I got roughly idea about Tatcher but knew nothing about Callaghan and unions. As for the Eastern European bit, I can educate you a bit as well: it’s not only that wages here look good relative to EE prices. Wages here gives you better buying power here than wages back in EE.

I just read an interesting article on that subject recently - if cup of coffe in cafe here costed as much as in Poland compared to average income, you would pay 7 pounds for it. To buy a house in WrocÅ‚aw is more expensive than to buy a house in Glasgow. Just to tell you: I work part time and I am at the uni, and I drive better car than my father, who is an university lecturer (retired last year). And cars back in Poland are still slightly (but only slightly) cheaper than here. It comes with everything - fuel in Poland is now about 1.10 pound’s per litre, and just to let you know: when I first came to Scotland, I can buy almost 2 litres of petrol in Poland for the price of one litre in UK. In a meantime wages of my friends in Poland has risen less than 50% and altough relatively to my British wages they earn more now than they used 6 years ago, they can buy less for it.

So it is not the wages that are problem back there it’s their relations with prices. And as you said it could not go forever.

I am propably getting in line with you now slagging EU propably, but this is my theory: UK goverment invited all these EE people here, because the big companies, which have a lot in common with them, make a fortune in Eastern Europe. And they knew that they need to give people there a kind of emergency valve. You could see it recently: why all these Occupy this and Occupy that movements had next to none response in EE? Because people there can move West. You can’t (emigration to Canada is much more difficult than interEU movement of people).

It’s like with strikes: if you work in crap places, you change your job to better one. If you are already on the top, you go on strike to blackmail your employer. This is why there are strikes in BA and not in Ryanair, this is why it’s tanker drivers who strike, not the shop delivery drivers from Pakistani cash and carry network etc etc. And the same with EU countries - if you can move to better country, you do it. If you can’t you protest.

I agree with some of this occupy this and that people that it cant be longer like that that big companies make huge profits which is then shared among 1% of already the richest why ordinary people are milked more, more and more, but I can’t think of any realistic way to change it…

150

orys:

Carryfast:
Orys suffice to say that after Callaghan had zb’d the unions by trying to limit WAGE rises in a stupid attempt to halt PRICE LED inflation Maggie then came in and finished the job by creating mass redundancies by factory closures etc and importing goods instead.You should have been here to see the ‘recession’ and unemployment levels that lot caused.The place has never really recovered since.Not surprising considering the trade deficit,loss of spending power in the economy,and loss of tax revenues all added to by the EU wanting more money to give to the east europeans and the east europeans coming here because our wages look/looked good relative to zb east european commie prices.

Thanks for that explanation, I got roughly idea about Tatcher but knew nothing about Callaghan and unions. As for the Eastern European bit, I can educate you a bit as well: it’s not only that wages here look good relative to EE prices. Wages here gives you better buying power here than wages back in EE.

I just read an interesting article on that subject recently - if cup of coffe in cafe here costed as much as in Poland compared to average income, you would pay 7 pounds for it. To buy a house in WrocÅ‚aw is more expensive than to buy a house in Glasgow. Just to tell you: I work part time and I am at the uni, and I drive better car than my father, who is an university lecturer (retired last year). And cars back in Poland are still slightly (but only slightly) cheaper than here. It comes with everything - fuel in Poland is now about 1.10 pound’s per litre, and just to let you know: when I first came to Scotland, I can buy almost 2 litres of petrol in Poland for the price of one litre in UK. In a meantime wages of my friends in Poland has risen less than 50% and altough relatively to my British wages they earn more now than they used 6 years ago, they can buy less for it.

So it is not the wages that are problem back there it’s their relations with prices. And as you said it could not go forever.

I am propably getting in line with you now slagging EU propably, but this is my theory: UK goverment invited all these EE people here, because the big companies, which have a lot in common with them, make a fortune in Eastern Europe. And they knew that they need to give people there a kind of emergency valve. You could see it recently: why all these Occupy this and Occupy that movements had next to none response in EE? Because people there can move West. You can’t (emigration to Canada is much more difficult than interEU movement of people).

It’s like with strikes: if you work in crap places, you change your job to better one. If you are already on the top, you go on strike to blackmail your employer. This is why there are strikes in BA and not in Ryanair, this is why it’s tanker drivers who strike, not the shop delivery drivers from Pakistani cash and carry network etc etc. And the same with EU countries - if you can move to better country, you do it. If you can’t you protest.

I agree with some of this occupy this and that people that it cant be longer like that that big companies make huge profits which is then shared among 1% of already the richest why ordinary people are milked more, more and more, but I can’t think of any realistic way to change it…

Experience tells us that the only way that anyone has ever changed anything is by withdrawal of labour and well supported co ordinated strikes across the economy as a whole.That was what the Polish Solidarity movement was all about.However ironically while Lech Walesa and the membership of Solidarity were seen by the British government as heroes here their counterparts in the British unions were accused of being Communists.The ironic thing is though that now the Polish don’t seem so keen to rock the boat for some reason.

151

I don’t think it is so much the hourly rates that are the problem, although some firms take the mick. It’s more the new concept that a standard week is 60 hours and weekends are normal working days. I would say a normal working day for a driver is ten hours, so 50 hours basic week with anything over that at time and a half. Ideally there would be an extra payment for weekend work but I think the days of that are gone. Certainly a class one driver should be on £10p/h for a 50 hour week with anything extra at £15p/h. Oh sorry, dreaming again.

152

While £15/hr for a 40 hr week is about an average wage, it’s still down to supply and demand no matter what “industry” you’re in.

A techie at the turn of the millennium could demand circa £30/hr, now lucky to hit double figures, likewise drivers were earning £12-14/hr not that long ago…

The “skilled” workers were hit with a flood of graduates trying to jump on the band wagon. The “unskilled” workers were hit with all those scrambling for a job in a dwindling labour market, made worse by government and industry’s strive for ever cheaper labour.

Our industry is heading back to the dark ages of cap in hand begging for a job, many others are not far behind. So unless another “boom” sector appears sometime soon, possibly anything environments, to ■■■■ up all the excess labour, those at the bottom of the food chain are well and truly in the brown stuff.

The one’s who are going to feel it the worse of course is those in dept and fairly new to the work place, still inexperienced in their field with a mortgage and young family but no security of employment…

For those I especially feel sorry for, I have 3 of them, and it’s not helped by those who would have expected to retire years ago but have to carry on for beer money.

So what’s the answer ?

Possibly retrain if you can, assuming there’s anything worth retraining for. Get a second job on slave wages ? or third ? how many hours are in a day for christs sake. Wife goes out, 1 job ? 2 jobs ? Send the kids out ? :unamused:

And don’t think “I’m sitting pretty” cause we all know nothing good lasts forever, and this has a long way to go. 50% youth unemployment in Spain right now, it can’t go on… :imp:

153

steve_24v:
While £15/hr for a 40 hr week is about an average wage, it’s still down to supply and demand no matter what “industry” you’re in.

A techie at the turn of the millennium could demand circa £30/hr, now lucky to hit double figures, likewise drivers were earning £12-14/hr not that long ago…

The “skilled” workers were hit with a flood of graduates trying to jump on the band wagon. The “unskilled” workers were hit with all those scrambling for a job in a dwindling labour market, made worse by government and industry’s strive for ever cheaper labour.

Our industry is heading back to the dark ages of cap in hand begging for a job, many others are not far behind. So unless another “boom” sector appears sometime soon, possibly anything environments, to ■■■■ up all the excess labour, those at the bottom of the food chain are well and truly in the brown stuff.

The one’s who are going to feel it the worse of course is those in dept and fairly new to the work place, still inexperienced in their field with a mortgage and young family but no security of employment…

For those I especially feel sorry for, I have 3 of them, and it’s not helped by those who would have expected to retire years ago but have to carry on for beer money.

So what’s the answer ?

Possibly retrain if you can, assuming there’s anything worth retraining for. Get a second job on slave wages ? or third ? how many hours are in a day for christs sake. Wife goes out, 1 job ? 2 jobs ? Send the kids out ? :unamused:

And don’t think “I’m sitting pretty” cause we all know nothing good lasts forever, and this has a long way to go. 50% youth unemployment in Spain right now, it can’t go on… :imp:

There’s no such thing as security for anyone in that environment.Just ask anyone in Greece regardless of wether or not they are in work at present or looking for a job even with plenty of experience behind them with a family to support.

154

Solly:
@ Stevie.

Errrr! Why will they■■?

and some drivers wonder why drivers don’t get £15 per hour :laughing: :laughing: bear in mind that anyone bright enough to navigate their way to trucknet and write a post, will be regarded as quite bright when compared to some of the einstiens piloting trucks about.

please tell me you’re on the wind up? unless someone else is pressing the buttons for you :laughing: :laughing:

in answer to your question, because the supply of drivers out strips the demand for drivers. or for the ones using primary school logic to argue their £15ph case, there are drivers out of work who want work, so when a job comes up they’ll take it.

stevie