BHCC - Brighton & Hove Chamber of Commerce

 

Is The Minimum Wage Dead?

 

Brighton and Hove Chamber of Commerce is to stage its next ‘Big Debate’ on Tuesday, February 28th, 2012, on the motion ‘This house believes a voluntary living wage of £7.20/hr would be good for business in Brighton and Hove’. 

The debate looks at the growing campaign to replace the national minimum wage with a noticeably higher ‘living wage’ and questions the business case for a living wage.

The idea of the living wage – which sets pay at a level based on what’s needed to provide a family with the essentials of life, rather than a statutory bare minimum – is not new but it’s only within the last year that it seems to have really taken off. In the words of David Cameron, “It is an idea whose time has come” and Brighton & Hove seems to be embracing it. The Green city council has introduced the living wage for council employees, several notable private sector employers, such as the Amex stadium, are also backing it, and it is being promoted by the introduction of a Brighton & Hove Living Wage Commission.

However, business generally doesn’t like regulation and many business sectors have a reputation of fighting for the right to set the lowest pay possible should they wish. Some businesses argue that they cannot be profitable if they pay above minimum wage, while others say that higher wages means fewer employees, adding to unemployment at a difficult time.

Yet the city’s Living Wage Commission is chaired by the president of the Chamber of Commerce, Julia Chanteray, herself a business owner. Julia said: “Some employers are reluctant to pay above the minimum wage, it’s true, but I strongly believe that the living wage is not only more equitable but make business sense for companies and for the business sector as a whole.”

The debate features Julia Chanteray and Ian Tew, Head of workplace, Europe at KPMG, speaking for the motion, while speaking against are Ben Ferrer, general manager of My Hotel Brighton, and Adam Brian, director and co-founder of Due South.

A number of eminent Brighton business leaders will also be speaking from the floor of the debate, which will take the traditional Oxford Union debating format. The chair of the debate will be Rob Shepherd, of the Brighton-based international press release agency Press Dispensary.

Debate chair Rob Shepherd said: “This is a debate that addresses perhaps the most fundamental aspect of employment: pay.  Clearly it’s an emotive subject for employees but the question of minimum vs living wage is also a very live one for employers trying to get the best from both their staff and their bottom line. It covers morals and ethics as well as the business case. We advise an early booking for places as we expect a packed house. “

 

Entry is free but tickets must be booked in advance. Early booking is recommended as the event is expected to be full.