Re: Arctic Systems win!!

Robin wrote:
paragraph 5, Part 10, Schedule 3 of the Social Security
(Contributions) Regulations 2001


Ah yes, thanks. I'd forgotten that.
This an anacranism and is no longer necessary. It was originally put in place because the trade had appaullingly low wages because of the commercial nature of the business. Wealthy Patrons knew this and starting tipping the serving staff.

I think it also has its roots (like the PAYE provisions) in the fact that troncs used to be really independent of employers.

Yes, in most cases they were, although some were not and that were we actually get our only two cases tested before the courts. And interestingly enough, it is that we rely on to decide who should be, or at leat who should not be, the Troncmaster.


I have looked at close to 40 restaurants over the last few years, ranging from local bistros to top named operations and quite frankly, the mythical low paid worker is hard to find. On one occasion I found a very good waiter getting combined wages equal to £17 per hour.

Fair comment, though I suspect you naturally see more of the places where there's money to be found (rather than the places I can afford to eat these days).


I do take the point and I suspect that there is more truth here than I am comfortable in, but what worrys me the most is that the workers do not get qualifing years for pension if they do not pay NIC. They also do not get qualifying earnngs for statutory payments so no SSP, SMP etc, and the smaller operations are the ones with the lowest rates of pay anyway. Once again, its the poor bugger at the bottom of the food chain that gets screwed.
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