increase in national minimum wage

Re: increase in national minimum wage

Sal the 1st — Sun, 09 Oct 2011 17:26:57 GMT

my first paid veterinary work was 32.50 a week compulsory live in. out of that we paid £17 a week in rent each (5 of us sharing a flat above the practice so we werent exactly costing the practice a lot) we paid another £5 each monthly towards phone and tv licence, gas and electric we had to feed the meter. I recall the flat was bloody freezing even in the summer to the extent I taped polythene/ clingfilmed over my window in my room and it was quite common to get ice on the inside of the window in the winter. At night when everbody else had gone home we used to go downstairs and sit in the kennel room and play cards because it was heated and saved our money. I think we must have had the most attended in patients in town because we spent almost as much time in the kennels as they did! Sounds Dickensian doesnt it? but it wasnt that long ago!

Indeed it wasnt always the good old days but lets look forward to some better days for everybody

Re: increase in national minimum wage

Caro Laithwaite VN — Sun, 09 Oct 2011 16:42:59 GMT

When we came over to uk l trained for my bhsai. We did up to 100hrs/week including many hours through the night chasing through woods and roads for horses that escaped due to bad fencing Did one hr learning a day, food a joke weekends our busiest day we had a toasted sandwich as our main meal and cornflakes for breakfast, room it was autumn when l started in mid winter it was -9 3 days in a row we got heating one hr morning 1 hr evening all rooms damp and cold.

Our wages were the magnificent sum of £2.50 so l recon folks nowadays have not got to much to gripe over it wasnt always..."the good old days"

Re: increase in national minimum wage

Gillian Mostyn — Tue, 04 Oct 2011 20:06:07 GMT

[quote user="Eira Davies"]However nurses gain a payrise for passing exams, but this does not increase with inflation.[/quote]

Eh?? So they stay on the same wage forever........

Re: increase in national minimum wage

Katie Mansfield — Tue, 04 Oct 2011 19:58:02 GMT

It still beats the old YTS which my first practice used to put trainees on - £29 p/wk for 40 hours plus college!!!

K x

Re: increase in national minimum wage

Sal the 1st — Tue, 04 Oct 2011 10:21:11 GMT

http://www.direct.gov.uk/en/Employment/Employees/Pay/DG_10027201

Re: increase in national minimum wage

dinny_06 — Tue, 04 Oct 2011 10:09:37 GMT

Oh I didnt know that it has gone up as I am not in the country at the moment. What is the minimum now?

Re: increase in national minimum wage

Eira Davies — Tue, 04 Oct 2011 09:37:56 GMT

Our SVN's are on min wage and get inflation, although are reminded that apprenticeship rates exist and are much less. However nurses gain a payrise for passing exams, but this does not increase with inflation. Therefore, there is now hardly any difference between the more qualified and newbies :(