I’ve just been browsing the news, as I do everyday looking for anything of particular interest regarding the Villa.
And I’ve just come across a story where Everton have committed to pay it’s employees the living wage.
If you’re as naive as me, you’re probably wondering what the big deal is or even wondering why they’re so late getting there.
But the truth is, it seems they’re only the second club to have made such a commitment, after (what seems) Chelsea.
This is an utter disgrace, in my opinion.
Now I’m not going to encourage any politics here, but we all know the modern desire is to make money.
The more you make, the better you are, regardless of any costs/downsides. That’s how it is.
But we’re not talking new, up and coming companies here, who need to save every penny.
We’re talking multi million pound companies, who pay the top employees (the players) obscene amounts of money to kick a bag of wind around twice a week at most.
We often hear about the difference between company directors and average pay, but how vast must the difference be between our top players and those who clear the rubbish from under the seats every week?
And it’s not like we’re talking millions of pounds to sort this out either.
I know we employ a few hundred workers, but most only do a couple/few hours a week.
It’s peanuts in the scheme of a club like the Villa and we aren’t even in the Prem!
None of the Premier league clubs have any excuse whatsoever for not paying the living wage, in my opinion.
I’m not offering to put myself out there as some great campaigner (those days have gone).
But we should at least talk about it and spread the message.
And if you don’t agree, just consider the amount of money washing about in the game.
Yes, the likes of Newcastle too, but we already know Ashley does his best to get out of it.
I thought paying the minimum living wage was legal???? If not it should be & clubs not paying it should be named & shamed Inc villa if we don’t.are the barcodes staff on zero hours contracts???
That’s the minimum wage Giddy.
The living wage is higher, but still rubbish.
You’ve lost me I thought it was the same thing
Badger I couldn’t agree more. The living wage is only £7.85 an hour outside London so not exactly a king’s ransom.
If we’re not paying at least this then we should be ashamed.
From 1st October 2016:
The “National Living Wage” is £7.20/hour, and applies to workers 25 and over.
The “National Minimum Wage” is £6.95/hour, and applies to workers aged between 21 and 24.
For workers below 21 the rates are even lower…
These are the legal rates.
There are different suggestions from unions [etc] as to what a ‘rea’ “Living Wage” rate should be, but those have no legal force.
And while no employer can avoid paying the minimum rates, an industry awash with cash, and paying Monopoly-money to players, agents, and associated hangers-on, should certainly be paying well-above any statutory minimum wage rate,
So a difference of 25p an hour and the clubs can’t stretch to that?
Sorry Guys – off topic but there are suggestions that Carles Gil would like to return to VP as unhappy at Deportivo. Apparently there is a recall in the loan agreement. I for one would love to see him back playing under Bruce. We are desperate for a creative midfielder.
Get him back Brucey
I’m all for paying people a proper wage for the job they do but I’ve never been sure about how one goes about regulating it.
Of course premier league football clubs can afford to pay a national minimum wage (orwhatever it might be termed) and should be doing so but this doesn’t recognise that there are other small businesses or areas of service delivery that really cannot afford to pay those amounts which leads to either people losing their jobs and relying on the Government for financial assistance or a problem with service delivery. I’m thinking specifically for instance of the care sector.
Simply raising the minimum wage is not a solution but a political ideology.
H60, not looking to get into the general politics of minimum wage legislation; Badger’s post was quite specifically related to the football/entertainment ‘industry’, and I’d certainly agree that an industry which burns through a £billion each year – mostly into the hands of a few very priveliged individuals- is not in any position to quibble about paying its’ lowest-paid workers a little more than the bare legal minimum.
Agreed Ardent – I have no issue with Badgers views on that but what it does bring into focus is the issues around fair pay rather than minimum wage. So if all ‘rich’ clubs pay the Living Wage and no more they will claim the moral high ground BUT does it represent fair pay or what they can afford to pay their lowest paid workers?
There is no excuse for premiership clubs to be penny pinching worker’s wages, if they would stop paying super star wages to average footballers the worker’s could be earning a lot more.
Now saying Vertoute was deliberately kept on the bench because Villa didn’t want to pay appearances back to the club Villa purchased him, what type of business is that in getting players.I wonder if that comes under minimal wages being paid in purchases of players.
FUCK FIFA possibly one of the most corrupt organizations known to man, wear the poppy with PRIDE FUCK um. Rant over
Absolutely 100% agreed.
The poppy is neither a commercial or political symbol, and even FIFA’s own rules only have those grounds for banning any symbols.
Should play with the poppies-on, and see what stupid ‘sanctions’ FIFA try to impose.
Then take it to the Court for Arbitration in Sport for a legal decision – after the event.
{Oh, and IMO the poppy on the armband is a lot more sensible and tasteful than pinning plastic ones onto shirts!]
The poppy and the poppy red fields of Flanders symbolise the great sacrifice made by the allied troops In the First World War.
Wearing it is a matter for individual decision and not the right of some discredited POLITICAL and COMMERCIAL organisation to hypocritically dictate.
If the players want to wear a poppy on an armband then they should make a stand for their personal right to do so. FIFA will look the fools they already are by imposing sanctions – respect for the sanctity of human life is more important than bowing to FIFA.
I wager that all members of the fifa staff have pins depicting who they are, this is a smack in the gob to the British people, we the Brits lay down lives for that load of shite.
Going back to Badger’s opening point, I have to deplore the latest version of a the protection racket which is everywhere in the commercial world since mission statements and the interfering busybodies who do nothing useful were given airtime.
Just because only two clubs have declared that they pay all their staff the living/minimum wages YOU assume – with no evidence – that every club that has not declared is paying less.
I am not singling you out for blame, this is the way you are being conditioned. It is endemic in kids’ football organisations. If you do not have certificates to say you are not a child-molester – the inference is you must be one. So you have to pay some self appointed prat for your certificate. The mentality is everywhere, please learn to resist it.
Great point OLL
Guilty until proven innocent – seems to be the new mantra these days.
OLL,
That’s a totally diversory argument.
I’m 99.9% sure that any other club (at least outside London) that pays the living wage would have said so.
Who in this modern age would pass up a PR opportunity like that?
We all know the game isn’t really interested in the fans, let alone it’s lower level workers, these days, after all.
Money is the only thing that matters and that’s why so many fans can’t even afford to go and see a game.
That’s the real protection racket, imo.
Not easy. The staff on a clubs book’s who are on a weekly salary are but a small percentage. It might be easy to say they are paid a living wage, but not to say that everyone working in VP on match days is. Football is an events business. As such it employs a huge number of staff on match days only, who probably do other jobs on other days of the week. This leads clubs to employ specialist events catering, stewarding, cleaning companies and the people working at VP are in fact working for the specialist firm not AVFC. They may be working at 5 or 6 different events venues in any week.
See what you mean lads, i refuse to draw petrol when they ask you to pay first, always say to them you calling me a thief?
Nevertheless if Villa came out and stated that they would always pay the living wage as a minimum we’d actually know rather than just guessing.
Which is the point.
Anyway back to football. Are you going to put up a preview for the Blackburn game?
One we should definitely win and that’s the very first time I’ve thought that about a game for years. Progress has been made.
5-0 VILLA
I’ll write a preview tomorrow, no worries.
I’m not keen on doing them too early, that’s all 🙂
May I be the first to wish you a happy birthday Giddy, get it down you’re mate.
CHEERS MATE & yes I am until midnight Sunday it’s going to be one hell of a bender.6-0 VILLA
Happy birthday Giddy, Enjoy.
CHEERS MATE 😀
Happy Birthday Giddy – get it down yer mate
CHEERS MATE 😀 started 2 hours ago hic. Getting it down me
Bit early here only 7am!
Do you have different times on your allotment Hitch?.
Like it Bill – on our annual visit but no allotment out here – just coconuts and monkeys……….and lots of rum!
Good luck to you Hitch, I’m just back from Cornwall bloody freezing and ended up with dreaded lergy, Still Villa will cheer me up? I hope.
Too true Bill – another win and we might all just start believing again.