[WillowTheWhisp]

Originally Posted by Greg Pope

Willow said that MPs will be able to vote themselves a higher than inflation pay rise to cover themselves. I haven't got the exact figure to hand but I think that this year MPs voted themselves a 1.9% rise in line with other public sector workers, the 7th year in a row that the rise has been lower than inflation.

Thanks Greg. I did say that they are able to, it's nice to know that in spite of being able to they don't intend to.

Originally Posted by MargaretR

Does my memory serve me correctly? - in the 50s and maybe even 60s, pay rises were campaigned for in ££££ not %%%%

A percentage rise in a low wage still makes for a low wage.
Whoever started this percentage rise system has just widened the gap between the richest and the poorest

My working life doesn't extend back that far but I do wholeheartedly agree with you that percentage increases only serve to widen the gap between higher and lower pay. A £1 increase in prices is felt more by a lower paid worker too so to be 'fair' it should be the lower paid that get a higher percentage increase than the higher paid, on a sliding scale. Can't see that going down well with fat cats though.