Some advise please?

[Smallp]

last year the company I have been with for nearly five years was bought out by a company I had previously worked for. We are in the same industry(car transportation) and do the same work i.e. European mainly. I drive a class one in the job I'm in now and have been pushing to go onto the same salary as the other drivers in the company that bought us out,as we are paid hourly.
My salary is about £17800 and the rest made up of bonuses and night out money and overtime. The problem is that the other drivers from the "same" company that bought us outs salary is £32800 + night out and weekend work.
They average approx£37-38000 pa.
I raised this issue with my boss and was asked to ask if we wanted to go on salary?, one driver didn't so nobody did!!!!!.
Surely we have to be paid the same money for doing the same work?.
Can anybody advise me regarding this?.
Thanks.

[teaboy2]

Re: Some advise please?

Since the company was taken over, has it been incorporated into the new company (Trading under one company name), or are both companies still trading as two separate companies? (Has name of employer on your pay slip changed)

How much do you earn per year currently when all bonuses are taken in to account?

Also have you considered that if you went on to the same salary that your income tax would increase from 20% to 40% as anything over £31,866 is in the 40% income tax rate band - So you may well actually be worse off on salary then you currently are with bonuses included!

This is what you would earn if your salary was 32,800:

Gross Pay	100%	£32,800.00	£2,733.33	£630.77
Tax Free Allowances	30%	£10,000.00	£833.33	£192.31
Total Taxable	70%	£22,800.00	£1,900.00	£438.46
Tax Paid	14%	£4,560.00	£380.00	£87.69
National Insurance	9%	£2,981.28	£248.44	£57.33
Total Deductions	23%	£7,541.28	£628.44	£145.02
Net Wage	77%	£25,258.72	£2,104.89	£485.74
NI Employer	10%	£3,428.47	£285.71	£65.93

[Smallp]

Re: Some advise please?

Thanks very much for your reply,the company name has sort of changed,all they did was put a "uk ltd" on the end of it?.
As regards the salary.....I have made more inquiries and the salary is £31800, which makes sense due to the threshold of £31886.

[teaboy2]

Re: Some advise please?

Thanks very much for your reply,the company name has sort of changed,all they did was put a "uk ltd" on the end of it?.
As regards the salary.....I have made more inquiries and the salary is £31800, which makes sense due to the threshold of £31886.

Yes but are both companies now named the same, do they operate as two separate company names or under 1 company name.

Don't forget that overtime payment also counts towards income tax, as income tax is based on total income before tax, minus taxable allowance. Its not based just on basic salary rate.

[Smallp]

Re: Some advise please?

No we still have are original name but with a UK ltd on the end of.
there is no such thing as "overtime" with this company as they say it's covered by the salary. But we do get a night out tax free payment.

[teaboy2]

Re: Some advise please?

No we still have are original name but with a UK ltd on the end of.
there is no such thing as "overtime" with this company as they say it's covered by the salary. But we do get a night out tax free payment.

Right sounds like from what you have said about them keeping the original name but changed it to "COMPANY X UK LTD", that they are operating as two separate companies. I.e. the company that bought out your employer is now a director of the company, with majority shares in it! So in essence they are still two separate legal entities each with their own wage bills and own employees. So unfortunately you can not claim equal pay to those that work for the other company as those employees are not employed by the same company as you, but by the company that bought out the company that you work for.