Local labour shortage

[Muckle Oxters]

Weel, dis is interesting https://www.shetnews.co.uk/2021/09/03/businesses-struggle-as-number-of-local-job-vacancies-closes-in-on-400-mark/

I canna mind dir be so much wark available since da early days o Sullom. I ken quite a few local businesses dat can get staff for love nor money (I expect offerin money wid be da better route!)

I winder if ony Brexit supporters will pit dir hands up and admit dat dey wir warned! Unless, of coorse, dis is whit Brexit supporters actually wanted?

[Colin]

I don't think that it's quite fair to blame Brexit for all the employment woes faced at the moment.   Truth is that hospitality in particular has always been a rubbish career(?) with transient workers, long antisocial hours, and low pay.

Other long hours, low pay occupations are also suffering as well.

East Europeans (and before them, transient Aussies/Kiwis/Jamaicans) did those jobs because many of our own people were not (and are not) willing to put up with such a poor lot, and honestly, why should they put up with minimum wage jobs just to pay their rent when they are better off (financially) by not working.

Don't forget, we abolished slavery a long time ago, and we shouldn't expect people to break their backs for little or no real compensation.  Cheap unskilled labour is (hopefully) a thing of the past.

The good thing that is likely to come out of this is that employers are going to be obliged to charge a little more and pay a decent wage, or shut up shop.

[Ghostrider]

The situation should never have arisen in the first place that businesses have relied on foreigners who were willing to work for peanuts to survive. Brexit has simply brought to a head an exploitation issue that's been quietly swept under the carpet for years.

The EU 'open borders' policy contained a 'loophole' that created the situation, Brexit has closed it and shown the situation for what it was. It shouldn't have ever been allowed to have been created in the first place, but it was, through Westminster's implementation of Brussels' edicts, and now the mess is going to have to be swept up.

[Muckle Oxters]

I doot you boys irna very familiar we da local employment market if words lik ‘slavery’ and ‘peanuts’ ir bein bandied aboot. Shetland wages are well above national average, including at da lower end o da scales, and I ken few employers payin minimum wage unless mibee fur teenagers we Saturday jobs. Da cost o living is higher than average, so it’s tae be expected dat wages wid be higher, but da labour shortage is across da board - no joost we da lower ends o things.

p.s. Splendid job we da blaming o Brussels in da first place’ Ghostrider. Classic Brexit denial  

Edited September 4, 2021 by Muckle Oxters

[Spinner72]

I don't know where du got dat info fae but, whilst Shetland used ta hae a higher dan average wage in many cases, this is pretty rare these days.

I winna go inta details as its a peerie place etc, but I keen first hand o both unskilled labour wark an HGV/Plant driving where companies on the mainland are offerin £2 or more per hour above the rates here. It's not a trivial amount. The boost fae the upsurge in construction here has really helped but it needs it aa yet.

Even council wise, if you compare wi Orkney, let alone da mainland, similar posts salaries are considerably lower in Shetland.

 

Ghostrider is right aboot some sectors dats fur sure, but its a difficult financial flow ta get up tae. Hospitality needs ta pay more, so charge more, but fok hae less ta spend and are less enthusiatic aboot travellin, so dir less comin in an so it goes.

 

The level of minimum wage compared to rent and rates is proably the biggest issue however. Many folk simply can't afford to work, because they won't break even.

[George.]

I'd bet that both the Co-op and Tesco pay the shelf-stackers no more than the national minimum wage. I very much doubt that they'll be the only ones.

Edited September 4, 2021 by George.

[Ghostrider]

5 hours ago, Muckle Oxters said:

......but da labour shortage is across da board - no joost we da lower ends o things.

Dats no exactly whit yun article says as I read it.....

Dir makkin maen aboot da want o' hospitality an retail staff (unskilled/boddam end) an some trained/skilled posts (upper middle ta tap end). While dir may ur may no be a want tu aawye, hits no mentioned specifically yunder, so you hae ta conclude dat hits no acute, an probably no dat muckle idder is still athin cry raek o' 'normal' parameters.

[Colin]

13 hours ago, Muckle Oxters said:

I doot you boys irna very familiar we da local employment market if words lik ‘slavery’ and ‘peanuts’ ir bein bandied aboot. Shetland wages are well above national average, including at da lower end o da scales, and I ken few employers payin minimum wage unless mibee fur teenagers we Saturday jobs. Da cost o living is higher than average, so it’s tae be expected dat wages wid be higher, but da labour shortage is across da board - no joost we da lower ends o things.

Sorry, but I am pretty well familiar with the local employment market.  Maybe you should try taking a closer look. 

I know quite a number of people who struggle on minimum wage BECAUSE the cost of living is higher up here.  I also know a few employers who pay the minimum wage BECAUSE that is the minimum that they have to pay.  The result is that the minimum wage employees have to claim some of the various Government top ups/allowances that are available.

I would be happy if anybody could explain to me just why the taxpayer, in general, should have to subsidise/top up the wages paid by some employers. 

As for 'slavery', if you cannot make ends meet in a low paid job, then it IS economic slavery.  OK, folk have an opt out in so much as they can choose not to work at all, and depend on the state to keep them alive.  Given some of the 'zero hours', 'minimum wage' jobs around here, who can blame them?  Why bust a gut working some anti-social hours job only to be looked down on by your customers who are, somehow, 'better' than them.

Nobody really wants to live on 'hand outs' and EVERYBODY is entitled to a fair days pay for a fair days work.

[shetlander]

If the minimum wage not being enough is the issue, are there really that many folk locally who (a) are currently living off benefits but want to/are able to work and (b) would be attracted to jobs in those sectors if wages were to be increased?

I don’t know but I suspect the problem is also that there’s an imbalance between the number of folk of working age living here and the number of jobs available locally. 

[Evil Inky]

23 minutes ago, shetlander said:

I don’t know but I suspect the problem is also that there’s an imbalance between the number of folk of working age living here and the number of jobs available locally. 

In addition, many jobs require qualifications: if an employer is looking for a time-served joiner, someone with a degree in astronomy isn't going to be any use to them.

[Muckle Oxters]

I'd be vexed if I wis wrang and dirs a lot o employers payin minimum wage, but I dunna ken o mony, even in catering, and I've had a skoit aroond local vacancy listings and I dunna see ony edder.

Whit sectors is it dat's payin minimum wage do you tink?

 

On 04/09/2021 at 13:10, George. said:

I'd bet that both the Co-op and Tesco pay the shelf-stackers no more than the national minimum wage. I very much doubt that they'll be the only ones.

Minimum wage is £8.91 an hour if you're ower 23, and I believe Tesco pay £9.55 and Coop pay £9.50.

[Colin]

Minimum wage + 60p (pence) is hardly going to make the earth move.  It's only £20 or so for a full 40 hour week.  Even less for those on 'zero hours'.   IMHO, it is NOT a living wage.

 

[George.]

^ The minimum wage IS the living wage. I think that we all knew it would go that way.

[Colin]

The problem is that the minium wage has become the 'going rate' for many jobs.

[Muckle Oxters]

13 hours ago, George. said:

^ The minimum wage IS the living wage. I think that we all knew it would go that way.

Da minimum wage, set by da government, is £8.91 an hour. 'Real Living Wage', which a lot o local business go by, is a voluntary minimum o £9.50. Dir's info here https://scottishlivingwage.org/ It doesna tak intae account da higher costs o livin on islands, but it's 6.6% better dan da minimum wage.