Minimum Wage

[S.ilvio]

Don't forget your toys prior to fleeing the sandbox.

Happy new year you mardy old git...

 

[eastcoast_bsc]

I wonder why Intel, Google, Dell, Pfeizer, Microsoft among other giant Multi-Nationals have chosen Ireland as their European HQ?

Why not ask them. If you do they will cite our well educated graduates, their willingness to work and our progressive Corporate Tax system.

There is a clear incentive to work as the rate of the dole is not as high as a working wage but we do not, as a society, demonise or cruelly penalise someone who has lost their job either. That word Compassion again. Go ask Pope Francis about it...

Well when the Vatican starts paying taxes, then maybe they will have an epiphany in regards to managing their money.

 

[LoAmmi]

So nobody has to work. Therefore, why should anyone work? What's the incentive? Free health care, free unemployment benefits. All you gotta do is go ask for a job once in a while. Great.

Do you have any evidence that a great many people in Ireland do not work by choice?

 

[Root of Jesse]

AHA - but you see in the UK and the RoI health care is not paid for by your employer - that's one of the reasons they can pay a reasonable minimum wage.

In practice we all pay for everyone's healthcare - we pay a contribution from our wages/salaries for such things as pensions and health benefits.

It's just a very different system .

By the way - I started training aged 19 and after I qualified I've never needed unemployment benefit - but my contributions have ensured that someone who needed it was able to have it.

I've had some time in Hospital - a total of about 3 weeks in 70+ years - so again other people like my husband benefitted. There was never any possibility of me getting a bill for his treatment - and he got the best of care until his death.

Well, health care is not paid for by my employer. We get a group rate as a company, and they pay a portion. But if you factor in the health care benefit to a minimum wage full time worker, it makes a sizeable difference. $2000-3000 a year, or more.

What I really think would drive down costs is Medical Savings Accounts. When you work, part of your salary is placed into an account to be used only for medical needs. Have a separate catastrophic insurance available.
What we don't need is the government mandating that we have insurance. That's not health care. The two things are totally different. I buy car insurance in case I'm in an accident. Not for regular maintenance. Same should be for health insurance.

 

[Oafman]

 

[AMDG]

Snipped to portion addressed. Longer post above.

AHA - but you see in the UK and the RoI health care is not paid for by your employer - that's one of the reasons they can pay a reasonable minimum wage.

<SNIP>


It's just a very different system .

<Snipped>

You reminded me of how my grandfather was paid just as the health insurance thing started being a thing that all companies started to include in health care benefits. (Many businesses employed their own nurse or doctor on the premises for the employees so this insurance would have been only catastrophic--nothing more.)

Yes, they were (at the time) considered benefits the company (where one was employed) provided AS PART of the salary they would offer. IOW if the company was not paying extra for the employees health insurance, it could use that amount of money to apply it to a raise in salary. Salary plus benefit package was equal to raising the "minimum wage".



Wow. A trip down memory lane. I can STILL see my grandfather's pay stub. Thanks.

 

[Root of Jesse]

Well when the Vatican starts paying taxes, then maybe they will have an epiphany in regards to managing their money.

Why would a country be paying taxes???

Priests and bishops in the US, who receive a salary, are taxed.