Switzerland to vote on $25 minimum wage.

[diddle]

"The Alps, chocolate, and the world’s highest minimum wage? Don’t mind if we do. Switzerland will vote Sunday on a proposed minimum-wage increase that would bring the rate to 22 Swiss francs, or $24.70. Opponents say the union-proposed hike would push out small businesses and hurt the country’s large manufacturing sector. Meanwhile, the German parliament plans to introduce a bill to create the country’s first national minimum wage."

http://www.theguardian.com/world/201...-manufacturing

Is this something that will actually benefit the country or is it just pandering?

[Deleted]

It is an expensive country to live in with very tight border controls, it may work for them.

[Aeluron Lightsong]

I'd love to have that in the States. Then again 25.00 USD is 22.31 CHF.


(Someone correct me if I got the wrong one).

[Draahl]

not bad, we got about 18usd in Sweden for minimum wage.

[Cthulhu 2020]

Nice. Hopefully with all of these countries passing minimum wage laws to keep their workers above poverty levels, the US will follow suit soon. Minimum wage is falling woefully low in value.

[Deleted]

Guess we will see where this takes the country. For all intents, I hope it will have a positive effect

[Nyanmaru]

I'd love to have that in the States.

Living costs in comparison between US and Switzerland then correlated to minimum wage: Makes it a ~$13 minimum wage in the US.
So like ~50-70% higher than what it's currently like for most (non-tipped) people on minimum wage in the US.

[Xeion]

Doesn't sound too shabby. It's around 22.5 USD in Denmark. So when I hear about the wages in the US, I can't imagine living like that. I live at home, and tend to struggle with money at the end of the month. Get 300 USD from the state per month and 600+ from my job.

[Deleted]

Doesn't sound too shabby. It's around 22.5 USD in Denmark. So when I hear about the wages in the US, I can't imagine living like that. I live at home, and tend to struggle with money at the end of the month. Get 300 USD from the state per month and 600+ from my job.

You have to compare it to the cost of food, taxes, rent etc.. Even then, I do recall minimum wage danes have "better" living conditions (this is of course a far grasped comparison, since the US spreads across a wide area and largely different wages) also don't quote me on that, since it might be complete BS.

[Elegiac]

You have to compare it to the cost of food, taxes, rent etc.. Even then, I do recall minimum wage danes have "better" living conditions (this is of course a far grasped comparison, since the US spreads across a wide area and largely different wages) also don't quote me on that, since it might be complete BS.

Nah, that is generally the case. Americans spend too much of their income on gasoline and healthcare.

[Xeion]

You have to compare it to the cost of food, taxes, rent etc.. Even then, I do recall minimum wage danes have "better" living conditions (this is of course a far grasped comparison, since the US spreads across a wide area and largely different wages) also don't quote me on that, since it might be complete BS.

Ach so. Makes sense, but still. I have around 1000 USD to spend EVERY month, and I pay NOTHING to live at home, as I'm still taking the educational step towards University. Yet I somehow manage to spend almost all that money every month on all kinds of shit. I grew up in a solid family with money enough though, and that has without a doubt affect my view of the world, but as I see myself right now, I can't even imagine living for like 10 USD per hour of work. I'm without education or anything currently, just working at the postal office, yet I get twice the minimum wage of plenty of US states, mind blowing. Then again, we pay so bloody much in taxes, so it makes sense to receive more money. Oh and being 20 years old, I only have to pay for very simple insurances myself, so the montly things I have to pay for are limited. Of course I some times pay for the gasoline for one of our cars, since I use it rather much, only seems fair.

[Olo]

Doesn't sound too shabby. It's around 22.5 USD in Denmark. So when I hear about the wages in the US, I can't imagine living like that. I live at home, and tend to struggle with money at the end of the month. Get 300 USD from the state per month and 600+ from my job.

http://www.numbeo.com/cost-of-living...untry2=Denmark

Indices Difference Info
Consumer Prices in Denmark are 51.27% higher than in United States
Consumer Prices Including Rent in Denmark are 39.30% higher than in United States
Rent Prices in Denmark are 12.74% higher than in United States
Restaurant Prices in Denmark are 103.10% higher than in United States
Groceries Prices in Denmark are 25.46% higher than in United States
Local Purchasing Power in Denmark is 27.17% lower than in United States

[Poopymonster]

Nah, that is generally the case. Americans spend too much of their income on gasoline and healthcare.

Our wages are fine. Freedom isn't free they say, and those CEOs are raking in record freedoms each year. If they had to convert those freedoms into wages for the peons, why, they'd have less freedoms per quarter.

Think of the poor freedoms....

[Xeion]

Oh my. Wasn't aware that the price difference were that major. Another thing to mention is buying a car, while I know this is a minor thing really, it is still insanely more expensive to do in Denmark compared to the US. The cars original price + 180% + 25%. It's a lot, thus having a minimum wage job in Denmark, would still make it take years to buy a proper car. Yet in the US, I would imagine, living alone, not too many expensives, that it would take a shorter amount of time, to buy an equally good car.

[Crissi]

Our wages are fine. Freedom isn't free they say, and those CEOs are raking in record freedoms each year. If they had to convert those freedoms into wages for the peons, why, they'd have less freedoms per quarter.

Think of the poor freedoms....

I didnt know Colbert participated on MMOC OT

OT: If they can do this and not have a bazillion businesses go out of business, then maybe that'll help spur the U.S to raise ours (but not so high)

[Vouksh89]

I don't get why people in the US want min. wage jacked up so much. Even if it doesn't cause a bunch of layoffs, the prices of everything will go up. Not because it costs the companies more, but because they can. The CEO's of companies don't want to make less money, so they'll up the prices of their goods/services, and the people can do nothing about it.

For example, Wal-Mart tracks its profit hourly. Not weekly, not just daily, but hourly. If you have a slow day, you can expect that they're going to cut hours the next week. Have a slow week? Expect a month of hour cutting. And that's just because they're not making more than they did the year before. It's fucked.

And the worst part is a lot of people will lose any raises they've accumulated. I make $1.65 over min. wage right now. $0.75 is due to shift differential, and $0.20 is from my pay grade. That leaves $0.70. I've gotten 2 $0.40 raises since I started. Min. wage increased $0.10 last year. So if min. wage was increased to $10.00/hr, I'd be at $10.95.

On top of that, I have a garnishment that takes 30% of my wage down to a minimum of $435/paycheck. And I sincerely doubt that min. wage increase will affect that $435 minimum, so I'll be screwed, royally. The problem is that I can't get assistance, which is based off of wages before deductions.

What a lovely country this is.

[Flaks]

http://www.numbeo.com/cost-of-living...untry2=Denmark

Indices Difference Info
Consumer Prices in Denmark are 51.27% higher than in United States
Consumer Prices Including Rent in Denmark are 39.30% higher than in United States
Rent Prices in Denmark are 12.74% higher than in United States
Restaurant Prices in Denmark are 103.10% higher than in United States
Groceries Prices in Denmark are 25.46% higher than in United States
Local Purchasing Power in Denmark is 27.17% lower than in United States

Minimum wage is THREE TIMES AS HIGH in Denmark. That more than offsets any of those statistics.

[Deleted]

Minimum wage is THREE TIMES AS HIGH in Denmark. That more than offsets any of those statistics.

Yet they pay a lot more taxes in Denmark, evil socialism and all that.

[Ilir]

I live in switzerland. This law is dumb. We don't have minimum wage but we have like 30+ social help. With this law : there will be more jobless people, less social help, all salaries will go down, most company will just go outside switzerland.

This law is dumb.

[Templar 331]

Nice. Hopefully with all of these countries passing minimum wage laws to keep their workers above poverty levels, the US will follow suit soon. Minimum wage is falling woefully low in value.

You have more hope than I do.