[kirklancaster]

I agree with your 'Counter Productive' comment, and also that 'something' needs to be done to stop this predictable farce.

Many SME's simply cannot afford to absorb this but - as you say - there are a hell of a lot of other companies who have multi-million pound profit margins and they SHOULD be prevented by law from hiking up the cost of their goods/services simply as a sneaky way of compensating themselves for being forced to pay their workers a fairer wage.

I have not much time Josh because I'm in and out (plastering) so cannot discuss this comprehensively, but I have been employed, self-employed and an employer, and I always paid my employeees above the min imum wage or 'going rate' because I have worked for peanuts when employed.

In brief; I actually think that the answer is for the Government to draft new legislation which COMPELS employers of a certain size (to be ascertained) to make all employees shareholders. If a company grows into a multi-million pound entity then it is with the aid of its workforce so it seems fair to me that the workforce should enjoy a fair share of the rewards of that success.