Uwefuchs
Well-known member
Yes all cleaners deserve a payrise, not what I was getting at. Plus its not the workers doing it, its the union. Plus even despite low paid cleaners working for network rail, the rail industry averages 40k plus, that may well be deserved but as an overall industry I wouldn't consider that to be a low wage at all, its a lot more than I earn. That number will be relative to where people live so for some it may be difficult. But I have to say, I don't look at a person earning 40k per year and think "well they need a pay rise urgently", I do with cleaners. Also I would add that these workers may well deserve their 40k, but people earning that are certainly not poor.
Should someone have to feel bad or apologise for earning 40k a year? To earn that amount they'll have a fair amount of knowledge and skill to carry out a particular role. You don't walk into a 40k a year job on your first day on the railway.
Also how far do you think 40k gets you nowadays? Take off tax, NI, pension, maybe student loans, you're hardly rich. Then takeaway money for your spiralling bills and you'll struggle to support a family on that wage. If you got a couple who are both earning 40k a year then you're probably quite comfortable but a person trying to bring up a family on 40k a year is going to struggle.
I'm sorry that you earn less than that but railworkers rolling over and taking a pay freeze which amounts to a cut isn't going to help your situation.
Like people have said on here this isn't a race to the bottom, if the Tories had their way we'd all be working 18 hours a day for about 10 grand a year.
Everyone should be getting a payrise not criticism for wanting to live a reasonably comfortable life. Don't fall for the Tory spin that's trying to turn working people against each other.