I work in a few roles, that added together make up a full working week. One of my roles is as a home service assistant, or cleaner in everyday parlance. I clean the homes of local elderly residents, get their shopping and do their washing. I love my work, I love my clients, but I do this all for the princely sum of £6.31 per hour. Now call me greedy but that doesn't seem an awful lot of money.
I don't blame my employer, a charity, but I do blame the system. I claim Working Tax Credits to supplement my income. I don't want to claim it and I shouldn't have to. I didn't ask for low pay, it was all I was offered. Now here's a thought - why not raise the minimum wage and abolish tax credits? They were only created to subsidise low paying bosses anyway. Of course if the hidden Mr Nasty, Adrian Beecroft, has his way I will lose my employment rights and my pay could go down. He hates unions, he hates workers, as much as I hate the tories. The difference is I am motivated by fairness. I want a world where people not only go to work; they have time to enjoy their lives too. Driving down wages will force us to work longer hours, leaving us exhausted AND stony broke. This is the perfect scenario for a capitalist society where we, the serfs, do all the work while the rich reap all the money and leisure time they could possibly want.
Am I angry? Hell yes.
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