Why Should A Worker Setting Out On Their Career In The Regions Be Paid The Same As Someone Living In The South East?

[sandyRoe]

If you had to argue this where would you start?

[bobbinwales]

Should just depend on supply and demand. People can choose to move to a cheaper area with lower wage's or dearer area with higher pay if they want.

[davebro]

Dunno if it still applies but some workers were given a "London Weighting" to compensate for the extra costs associated with living/working in or near the capital. So the idea of differential pay isn't new.

[Bobbisox1]

The cost of livings much higher there Sandy which reflects on housing , wages etc

[Old_Geezer]

Probably by pointing out that if you don't pay the same then you enforce differences between regions rather than encourage homogeneity. Plus you upset many voters (lose the next GE) and encourage higher payment places to attract citizens while lower payment places find a lack of applicants because some aren't interested in working for low pay while others have uped sticks and moved elsewhere.

[dave50]

Can I just say that those who are paid a London weighting allowance should have it removed if they are still working from home.

[Paigntonian]

Dave: Why? Their housing costs are much greater in or near London.

[ladybirder]

Perhaps a decrease then, for no longer travelling?

[JJ109]

You pay for the work done - not the location.

If the costs are higher in the SE, then this should make working in the provinces more attractive, relative to the SE. Ceteris paribus, some people will move to the provinces for the work which will help to level off the disparity in wages and costs between the SE and provinces.

[Paul22118]

Simplistically a police officer who is stabbed in Fulham gets paid more than his colleague who gets stabbed in Dewsbury. Discuss......

[jno]

more likely to happen in Fulham because there are more police in Fulham?

Less likely to happen in Fulham because more police in proportion to the population?

Too many variables to answer questions like that

[jourdain2]

When I was a young teacher, there was a London Weighting Allowance added to the salaries of those who taught there. This was standard throughout Local Authorities. The reason was obvious - everything cost more, no one complained, it was normal. So I don't see why there should be such a fuss now.

[237SJ]

It's as expensive to live in some parts of the South West as it is to live in the South East these days. A friend of mine who has recently retired from the NHS said there is a real problem in attracting medical staff to rural areas so there could be a case for paying more in those areas