上調最低工資讓酒吧倒閉？

在英國,大街上的酒吧比比皆是,并被高雅地冠為“酒吧文化”(Pub Culture)而名揚天下。而近期英國酒吧巨頭連鎖集團威瑟斯本(JDWetherspoon)表示，政府提出強制加薪低薪工人的措施將使酒吧的人力支出大大增加。在競爭尤其激烈的今天，這個全英擁有近900家酒吧行業老大也有可能面臨關門的風險。

 

測試中可能遇到的詞匯和知識：

dereliction 瀆職

Treasury 財政部

Budget Responsibility 預算責任

offset 抵消

subsidise 補貼

VAT 增值稅

 

閱讀馬上開始，建議您計算一下閱讀整篇文章所用的時間，對照下方的參考值就可以評估出您的英文閱讀水平。

JD Wetherspoon warns ‘living wage' risks leading to pub closures（589words）

By Michael Pooler,Nathalie Thomas and Richard Blackden

 

The owner of Britain's best known chain of drinking establishments has ratcheted up its criticism of the forthcoming rise in the minimum wage,saying it risks putting more financial pressure on pubs,especially those in less prosperous areas.

 

JD Wetherspoon said that the government's proposed compulsory pay rise for low-paid workers placed pubs at a disadvantage compared with supermarkets,because pub wages represent a higher proportion of sales than for supermarkets and their prices are higher.This was likely to have a particular impact in less well-off neighbourhoods,where the price difference between pubs and supermarkets is more important to customers,the company said.

 

“It is certain that high streets in less affluent areas,which already suffer from serious problems of empty shops and dereliction,will suffer further if pubs and other labour-intensive businesses close,” said chairman Tim Martin.

 

Pub wages take up roughly 30 per cent of sales because of the labour-intensive nature of the business,whereas at supermarkets the proportion is only about 10 per cent,said Mr Martin.The comments from the pub group are the latest in a string from businesses about the impact of the “national living wage”.

 

Announced by Chancellor George Osborne in his post-election summer Budget,the minimum wage will rise to ￡7.20 in April for workers aged 25 and older,and increase to 60 per cent of median earnings in 2020,or about ￡9. The minimum wage at present is ￡6.50 for over-21s.

 

The Treasury has said that 2.7m people will receive a direct boost from the measure,but the Office for Budget Responsibility,a fiscal watchdog,estimates that the extra costs could mean up to 60,000 job losses.

 

While economists do not yet see the reform as a significant threat to jobs,employers' organisations warn it will hit profits and is already damping recruitment.

 

Fashion retailer Next and Whitbread,the owner of Costa Coffee and Premier Inn,this week both said they might have to raise prices to offset a higher wage bill. Wetherspoon said it had no immediate plans to raise prices.

 

Mr Martin was one of the first business leaders to attack the living wage shortly after it was announced in July.

 

Wetherspoon detailed how much it has increased staff salaries over the past two years — by 5 per cent last October and 8 per cent in July — to highlight that some employers were already seeking to help those on low wages. About 40 per cent of its profits are paid out as a bonus or free shares to staff,while more than 80 per cent of this year's ￡30.7m bonus pot will go to employees working in pubs. Basic pay at the company starts at ￡7 an hour.

 

The FTSE 250 company also took aim at the different tax treatment for pubs and restaurants,which pay 20 per cent VAT on food sales,whereas supermarkets are “virtually” exempt.“This disparity enables supermarkets to subsidise their alcoholic drinks sales to thedetriment of pubs and restaurants……[this is]the biggest danger to the pub industry,” it said.

 

The warning came as Wetherspoon posted a 25 per cent drop in annual pre-tax profit to ￡58.7m,dragged down by a large number of exceptional items,including restructuring costs.Revenue rose 7.4 per cent to ￡1.5bn,while like-for-like sales during the year were 3.3 per cent higher. The full-year dividend is being maintained at 12p a share. Wetherspoon's shares have dropped 12 per cent this year,underperforming the FTSE 250 index of medium-sized companies,which has climbed 6 per cent.

 

請根據你所讀到的文章內容，完成以下自測題目：

 

1.Which bar may feel more financial pressure by JD Wetherspoon's owner?

A.Suburb

B.Downtown

C.Central Business District

D.Bar Street

[1] 答案

2.Which one would have been more affected by government's proposed compulsory pay rise?

A.Supermarkets

B.Shops

C.Pubs

D.Schools

[2] 答案

 

3.How much is the minimum wage now for over-21s?

A.￡7.20

B.￡6.50

C.￡9

D.￡2.70

[3] 答案

 

4.What is the purpose of Costa Coffee's price change?

A.to protest the new measures

B.to attract customers

C.to offset a higher wage bill

D.to compete with the supermarket

[4] 答案

 

[1]答案：A.Suburb
解釋：文章第一段，不繁華的地區會感受到更大的壓力。

[2]答案：C.Pubs
解釋：由于價格影響，酒吧會受到更大的影響。

[3]答案：B.￡6.50
解釋：文章第七段。

[4]答案：C.to offset a higher wage bill
解釋：在未來可能會提高咖啡價格以抵消更高的工資賬單。