Average worker's wage
Encyclopedia
An average worker's wage is the mean
salary
of a group of workers
. This measure is often monitored and used by Government or other organisations as a benchmark for the wage level of individual workers in an industry, area or country.
The usefulness of this measure in assessing wage levels is debatable, particularly in an economy where low pay is prevalent, due to the tendency for the wages of a minority of high earners to 'skew' the average upwards. It has been argued that the median (mid-point) worker's wage is a better indicator in these circumstances; this measure is used in the UK by both the Office for National Statistics
and the Scottish Low Pay Unit in examining wage levels.
Certain UK organisations, usually socialist or left-of-centre political groups, have traditionally had a policy that members should never accept wages higher than the wage of the average working class person whilst being employed by that organisation or in a representative capacity. Deputies and officials paid an average worker's wage are also a feature of the Dictatorship of the Proletariat
described in Marx's account of the Paris Commune
, The Civil War in France
, as well as in Lenin's The State and Revolution commentary on Marx's pamphlet, although not all people who draw an average workers wage subscribe to Marxist principles.
This idea is based on the idea that politician
s (or trade union
officials) are there to serve the people of the country rather than earn themselves a fortune and/or raise their status (also known as careerism). Proponents claim that high wages for politicians are a waste of taxpayers' money and distance the politician from the concerns of the working class.
Examples of people taking only an average worker's wage are Mark Serwotka
, General Secretary of the PCS
union, Socialist Party
politician Joe Higgins
, former MP Dave Nellist
in the UK, John Marek, Forward Wales' Welsh Assembly member for Wrexham, and Sinn Féin
politicians in Ireland.
In The Ragged Trousered Philanthropists
, Robert Tressell
notes that the Labour Representation Committee MPs of the day took only an average workers' wage. In 2009, the Office for National Statistics
calculated the United Kingdom
's mean gross annual earnings across all employee jobs as £26,470. http://www.statistics.gov.uk/StatBase/Product.asp?vlnk=15313
Some religious organisations adopt a similar policy. Many Christian
churches, for example, point to the Gospels of the Bible
where Jesus
humbled Himself and became a servant to His followers. Many churches pay their clergy low wages because of this. However some big churches have been criticised for paying their Pastors/ministers very high wages.
Mean
In statistics, mean has two related meanings:* the arithmetic mean .* the expected value of a random variable, which is also called the population mean....
salary
Salary
A salary is a form of periodic payment from an employer to an employee, which may be specified in an employment contract. It is contrasted with piece wages, where each job, hour or other unit is paid separately, rather than on a periodic basis....
of a group of workers
Working class
Working class is a term used in the social sciences and in ordinary conversation to describe those employed in lower tier jobs , often extending to those in unemployment or otherwise possessing below-average incomes...
. This measure is often monitored and used by Government or other organisations as a benchmark for the wage level of individual workers in an industry, area or country.
The usefulness of this measure in assessing wage levels is debatable, particularly in an economy where low pay is prevalent, due to the tendency for the wages of a minority of high earners to 'skew' the average upwards. It has been argued that the median (mid-point) worker's wage is a better indicator in these circumstances; this measure is used in the UK by both the Office for National Statistics
Office for National Statistics
The Office for National Statistics is the executive office of the UK Statistics Authority, a non-ministerial department which reports directly to the Parliament of the United Kingdom.- Overview :...
and the Scottish Low Pay Unit in examining wage levels.
Certain UK organisations, usually socialist or left-of-centre political groups, have traditionally had a policy that members should never accept wages higher than the wage of the average working class person whilst being employed by that organisation or in a representative capacity. Deputies and officials paid an average worker's wage are also a feature of the Dictatorship of the Proletariat
Dictatorship of the proletariat
In Marxist socio-political thought, the dictatorship of the proletariat refers to a socialist state in which the proletariat, or the working class, have control of political power. The term, coined by Joseph Weydemeyer, was adopted by the founders of Marxism, Karl Marx and Friedrich Engels, in the...
described in Marx's account of the Paris Commune
Paris Commune
The Paris Commune was a government that briefly ruled Paris from March 18 to May 28, 1871. It existed before the split between anarchists and Marxists had taken place, and it is hailed by both groups as the first assumption of power by the working class during the Industrial Revolution...
, The Civil War in France
The Civil War in France
The Civil War in France was a pamphlet written by Karl Marx as an official statement of the General Council of the International on the character and significance of the struggle of the Parisian Communards in the French Civil War of 1871....
, as well as in Lenin's The State and Revolution commentary on Marx's pamphlet, although not all people who draw an average workers wage subscribe to Marxist principles.
This idea is based on the idea that politician
Politician
A politician, political leader, or political figure is an individual who is involved in influencing public policy and decision making...
s (or trade union
Trade union
A trade union, trades union or labor union is an organization of workers that have banded together to achieve common goals such as better working conditions. The trade union, through its leadership, bargains with the employer on behalf of union members and negotiates labour contracts with...
officials) are there to serve the people of the country rather than earn themselves a fortune and/or raise their status (also known as careerism). Proponents claim that high wages for politicians are a waste of taxpayers' money and distance the politician from the concerns of the working class.
Examples of people taking only an average worker's wage are Mark Serwotka
Mark Serwotka
Mark Serwotka , is General Secretary of the Public and Commercial Services Union , the trade union for British civil servants.-Early life:Born into a Catholic orphanage in Cardiff, Wales, he was adopted by a Polish British father and a Welsh mother....
, General Secretary of the PCS
Public and Commercial Services Union
The Public and Commercial Services Union is the sixth largest trade union in the United Kingdom. Most of its members work in government departments and other public bodies although some work for private companies.- Membership and organisation :...
union, Socialist Party
Socialist Party
Socialist Party is the name of several different political parties around the world that are explicitly called Socialist. All of these parties claim to uphold socialism, though they might belong to different branches of the socialist movement and might therefore have different interpretations of...
politician Joe Higgins
Joe Higgins
Joe Higgins is an Irish Socialist Party politician. In the 2011 general election he was elected to Dáil Éireann as Teachta Dála for the Dublin West constituency, having previously served in that capacity from 1997–2007...
, former MP Dave Nellist
Dave Nellist
David John Nellist is a British Trotskyist activist and former Labour Member of Parliament for the now abolished constituency of Coventry South East...
in the UK, John Marek, Forward Wales' Welsh Assembly member for Wrexham, and Sinn Féin
Sinn Féin
Sinn Féin is a left wing, Irish republican political party in Ireland. The name is Irish for "ourselves" or "we ourselves", although it is frequently mistranslated as "ourselves alone". Originating in the Sinn Féin organisation founded in 1905 by Arthur Griffith, it took its current form in 1970...
politicians in Ireland.
In The Ragged Trousered Philanthropists
The Ragged Trousered Philanthropists
The Ragged-Trousered Philanthropists is a novel by Robert Tressell first published in 1914 after his death in 1911. An explicitly political work, it is widely regarded as a classic of working-class literature.-Background:...
, Robert Tressell
Robert Tressell
Robert Tressell was the nom-de-plume of Robert Croker, latterly Robert Noonan, an Irish writer best known for his novel The Ragged Trousered Philanthropists.-Early life:...
notes that the Labour Representation Committee MPs of the day took only an average workers' wage. In 2009, the Office for National Statistics
Office for National Statistics
The Office for National Statistics is the executive office of the UK Statistics Authority, a non-ministerial department which reports directly to the Parliament of the United Kingdom.- Overview :...
calculated the United Kingdom
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
's mean gross annual earnings across all employee jobs as £26,470. http://www.statistics.gov.uk/StatBase/Product.asp?vlnk=15313
Some religious organisations adopt a similar policy. Many Christian
Christian
A Christian is a person who adheres to Christianity, an Abrahamic, monotheistic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus of Nazareth as recorded in the Canonical gospels and the letters of the New Testament...
churches, for example, point to the Gospels of the Bible
Bible
The Bible refers to any one of the collections of the primary religious texts of Judaism and Christianity. There is no common version of the Bible, as the individual books , their contents and their order vary among denominations...
where Jesus
Jesus
Jesus of Nazareth , commonly referred to as Jesus Christ or simply as Jesus or Christ, is the central figure of Christianity...
humbled Himself and became a servant to His followers. Many churches pay their clergy low wages because of this. However some big churches have been criticised for paying their Pastors/ministers very high wages.
See also
- List of countries by monthly average wage
- List of countries by average wage
- List of countries in Europe by average wage
- Compensation of Employees (per hour)Compensation of Employees (per hour)The compensation of employees per hour is a measure for the financial well-being of a country's inhabitants. A similar measure is the GDP per capita. However, gross domestic product = compensation of employees + gross operating surplus/mixed income + taxes on production - subsidies...
- Wages and SalariesWages and SalariesIn the national accounts, in accordance with the System of National Accounts, wages and salaries include the values of any social contributions, income taxes , etc., payable by the employee even if they are actually withheld by the employer for administrative convenience or other reasons and paid...