Fair Wage Foundation
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Fair Wage Foundation
Fair Wage Europe is a Europewide foundation headquartered in Europolis. The foundation has branches throughout Europe from low income to high income countries. In each country a Fair Wage Council made up of Unions and experts on living costs sets a fair wage hourly rate that two working adults working 30 Hours a week each could reasonably afford to rent or buy a three bedroom apartment, pay utilities and get a monthly transport pass for unlimited travel for the family or run a family car and go on holiday domestically for at least 7 Days a year. The wage is calculated without taking into account benefits such as work accommodation, company cars , profit sharing schemes or schemes that cover health or emergency expenses for families. The rate may be set different for different regions of a country if significant cost disparities exist but is usually set on a national basis by the national Fair Wage Council.Why pay and join the Fair Wage?
When you pay a fee to the Fair Wage Foundation and pay a Fair Wage for each nation to all employees Europewide you get listed as a Fair Wage employer. This badge ensures people know you are an ethical company looking after your employees increasing your revenue from sales from ethical consumers. You also cut your costs by retaining workers and being able to pick the best workers, if you pay well after all staff will be much more likely to stay and be more productive as happy workers.To join Fair Wage pay your national Fair Wage Foundation and they will assess you and your wage structure and give approval to use the logo on your site.The Foundation will publish Fair Wage rates. -
Statement on Stop Corporate Imperialism Act
We are alarmed at the introduction of the Stop Corporate Imperialism Act. While we can agree with the title imperialism should be stopped we believe the act will do more to allow exploitation and imperialism than stop it. Frankly sometimes unions and experts have told us in countries their minimum wage is not high enough and our experts have concluded the minimum wages amount to exploitation. A good example of this actually goes on in Istkalen , Iras's home country where people are payed as little as €0.02 per hour if they do not pass certain exams and work in manual labour and not allowed to take up higher paying jobs even if firms see more potential in them. That is frankly modern day slavery conditions and this act would punish firms for paying them a living wage.This could also cause concerns in some poorer countries where agricultural wages or prices can be too low if the market rate prevails. Hence sometimes Fair Wage pledges by companies are essential in raising living standards and making sure no matter what your country or industry you work in or who you work for a fair days work means you get to live a good decent life for your family. We oppose this act that would prohibit countries in many countries from offering fair wages in line with guidelines on providing a good living expenses and ruin profit sharing schemes of some companies by forcing them to stop offering higher bonuses on profit sharing and giving full value of their labour to them. We reccomend that Iras go to the workers of these companies and also the workers being exploited by poverty wage companies and actually speak outside of here rich legislator wage bubble. If she thinks leisure time and making sure that workers are not impoverished for just paying their utilities, housing, transport and childcare costs is not part of a living wage she is out of touch and mistaken. We in the union movement have fought for many years for these sorts of rights and they should extend to all workers in Europe. This should not be a luxury only certain workers in richer nations have while benefitting from cheap labour in lower wage countries with looser regulations. If she is serious about dealing with the issue I suggest she talk with unions and experts on wages and living costs about how we make sure every worker gets a wage that allows for basic living costs and some leisure expenses for families, that she thinks certain workers don't deserve a holiday or leisure time and to be able to afford basic leisure opportunities like a meal out or going to the cinema shows she is out of touch.
