商务英语中级新闻阅读（14）

会计考友

英国零售商协会警告称：“许多雇主，特别是那些在零售业等竞争激烈、普遍处于通缩市场上经营的雇主，发现他们的薪资结构受到了挤压。因此，那些出钱培训员工、支持员工再教育、并希望能够认可并奖励员工新增技能和技能提高的企业，无力做到这些。”  
7 d, f  {; V; V: P* @  _; ?　　It warns: “Many employers, particularly those who operate in fiercely competitive and generally deflationary markets such as retailing, have seen their pay structures compressed. As a result, those who invest in training their staff and supporting further education and who want to be able to recognise and reward new and enhanced skills are un-able to do so.”
　　薪资福利专业机构IDS 2005年年底进行的一项研究显示，在引入最低工资制后，超市已削减了薪资等级的数量，在一家超市，已“引入了单一的副主管薪资等级”。
0 O0 e$ S8 N+ W* E% ~　　A study at the end of 2005 by IDS, the pay and benefits specialists, reported that supermarkets had reduced the number of pay grades and in one case had “introduced a single sub-supervisor grade” following the introduction of the minimum wage.
$ A$ y1 ]  Z7 G　　英国零售商协会表示：“如果最低工资继续以近来的平均速度增长，那么就业率将下降，雇主也会发现自己无力奖励技能高超的员工、保持薪资差距并提供宝贵的非薪资福利。包括零售业在内的多个行业已感受到这些影响。”
; G& C7 Q. ]# J6 d" f& C+ A% z　　The BRC said: “If the minimum wage continues to grow at its recent average rate, employment will fall and employers will find themselves unable to reward skills, preserve wage differentials and provide valued non-wage benefits. These effects are already being felt in several sectors, including retail.”
　　然而，英国职工大会(TUC)秘书长弗朗西斯?奥格拉迪(Frances O’Grady)表示：“最低工资标准已发挥了作用，因为这个标准由低收入委员会确定，该委员会将雇主和工会代表组织在一起，讨论对英国经济最为有利的政策。用机械的指数来替代这一成功的合作过程，将是愚蠢的。”
　　Frances O’Grady, TUC general secretary, however, said: “The minimum wage has worked because the rate has been determined by the Low Pay Commission, which brings employer and trade union representatives to-gether to discuss what will work best for the UK economy. It would be foolish to replace this successful partnership process with a mere mechanical index.
　　“英国零售商协会一贯认为，对于零售业而言，最低工资标准的每一次提高都是一场灾难。而事实是，零售业的就业率已升至创纪录的水平。”
( Q! x8 ?( x0 P0 {　　“The BRC has consistently predicted that every increase in the minimum wage will be a disaster for the retail sector. The truth is that employment in retailing has grown to record levels.”