Minimum Wage Foreign Workers

[Johnny1979]

Got into a discussion with my brother about polish workers. He said its illegal for them to be paid less than the minimum wage.

I disagreed stating that it is legal and they must be in the uk for a certain period of time.

Was on the gov website there, it tells me all about minimum wage but does not discuss foreign workers.

[pandemic]

Everyone eligible to work in the UK must be paid minimum wage. Doesn't matter where they are from or how long they have been here.

here's the .gov:

Who can get the minimum wage?

Most adult workers who:

* Are working legally in the UK
* Are not genuinely self-employed
* Have a written, oral or implied contract

[whiskyboozer]

Yes they are eligible for minimum wage, whether they get paid it or not is a different matter.

Maybe OP you were thinking about their rights to certain welfare benefits i.e. JSA. They have to have been registered with the workers registration scheme and working for 12 months in order to qualify.

[Phil57]

Originally Posted by Johnny1979

Got into a discussion with my brother about polish workers. He said its illegal for them to be paid less than the minimum wage.

I disagreed stating that it is legal and they must be in the uk for a certain period of time.

Was on the gov website there, it tells me all about minimum wage but does not discuss foreign workers.

Don't you just hate it when your brother is proved right?...

[JagoPlasma]

if they are on a YTS they can be paid whatever the employer wants. in 2001 i was earning £250pcm and doing 40hrs a week

minimum wage my ass

also didnt get a minutes worth of training either

[pandemic]

Originally Posted by JagoPlasma

if they are on a YTS they can be paid whatever the employer wants. in 2001 i was earning £250pcm and doing 40hrs a week

minimum wage my ass

also didnt get a minutes worth of training either

That's because you were under 18 or because it was a training scheme, there is a lower minimum wage for 16-18 year olds. The 'proper' minimum wage applies to ALL adults.

[JagoPlasma]

As said, i was on a YTS. I was also an adult. but I was still paid well below the NMW.

and im sure they could do it for the polish too if they wanted

[Phil57]

Age 22 years and over you are entitled to the national minimum rate.
My personal feeling is that employees that work for less than what they are entitled to, and accept less paid holidays than they are entitled to, only deserve what they are paid.
That said employers that pay less than the minimum wage or holidays should be shut down at the earliest opportunity.

I'll take my laptop to the nearest air raid shelter now.

[Desmo]

Originally Posted by Phil57

That said employers that pay less than the minimum wage or holidays should be shut down at the earliest opportunity.

You should try being an employer. We haven't had to do this, but minimum wage has cost some people their jobs as employers couldn't afford to keep them on. We have a few little jobs around the office that need doing but I doub't we'll take somebody on due to the minimum wage level, it's just not worth it.

[whiskyboozer]

Originally Posted by Desmo

You should try being an employer. We haven't had to do this, but minimum wage has cost some people their jobs as employers couldn't afford to keep them on. We have a few little jobs around the office that need doing but I doub't we'll take somebody on due to the minimum wage level, it's just not worth it.

If you cant run your business without paying your employees a poor wage then you don't have a business, jack it in and do something else

[pandemic]

Originally Posted by whiskyboozer

If you cant run your business without paying your employees a poor wage then you don't have a business, jack it in and do something else

What experience do you base that on? Get out into the real world there are thousands of businesses who cannot afford to pay minimum wage and hundred close down due to it.

[Desmo]

A touch judgmental don't you think? You know nothing of the business yet tell me to jack it in?

Small businesses in this country are finding it harder and harder to survive due to rules and regulations constantly changing around them. It's not always easy to just adapt at the flick of a switch, much like the extra holiday we are forced to give now. Whilst minimum wage can be a good thing, it has, in my opinion, kept some people out of work as businesses cannot afford to meet those minimum requirements. We all want goods cheaper, but we all want to earn a decent wage. It's no wonder we can't manufacture things in the UK any more.

I'd be genuinely interested on your experiences and thoughts of running a small business

[Phil57]

Originally Posted by bla5er

What experience do you base that on? Get out into the real world there are thousands of businesses who cannot afford to pay minimum wage and hundred close down due to it.

Although I don't go along with what whiskyboozer has said, your answer provides no logic.
If a business produces nuts and bolts and is unable to pay at least minimum wage to its employees, how then does a business 'down the road' producing the same items manage to pay?

[anwarsadat]

Send 'em all back................

[pandemic]

Originally Posted by Phil57

Although I don't go along with what whiskyboozer has said, your answer provides no logic.
If a business produces nuts and bolts and is unable to pay at least minimum wage to its employees, how then does a business 'down the road' producing the same items manage to pay?

That's like saying why can tescos pay minimum wage, but the local corner shop can't.