Wages and Income Distribution The meaning of wages
Subject : Social Studies
Topic : Wages and Income Distribution
Class : Primary 4
Term : Third Term
Week : Week 2
Previous Knowledge : Pupils have previous knowledge of
that have been taught in their former lessons and classes
Behavioural Objectives : At the end of the lesson , pupils should be able to
1 say the meaning of wages
2 say the meaning of income
3 mention the problems of income distribution in Nigeria
4. say the difference between wages and salaries
5. mention at least five reasons why people work.
6. mention ways of solving those problems.
Methods Of Teaching
- Discussion
- Explanation
- Dramatization
- Dialogue
- Story telling
- Questions and Answers
- Role Modelling
Instructional Materials
- Wall Charts
- Pictures
- Online materials
- Textbooks
- Scheme of work
- Workbooks
Content
The Meaning Of Wages And Salaries
Wages are daily payment made to semi skilled or unskilled workers.
Wages refers to the amount of money paid to a worker in return for the work he or
she has done or the services he or she has rendered. Wages can be paid daily,
weekly, or fortnightly. Wages can also be paid at the end of the month. This is
usually called salary.
Salaries are monthly payments. They are the money that are paid to skilled employees. Such people that earned salaries are either employed by governments or big private companies
What is an Income?
An income is the total sum of money which a worker earns. This includes his salary
and all the allowances he receives. Other sources of income that are available for individuals are interests of fixed deposits, rents from landed properties, bonuses, allowances, or dividends
Reasons why people work
1 People work in order to earn money. They use the money to take care of
themselves and members of their family.
2 People work because it is not good to be idle. When people are at work, they
do not have the time to do evil.
3 People work to become responsible and to gain respect from other people in
society.
4 People work in order to keep their body and mind healthy.
5 By working, people render services to their community and the nation.
6 People work in order to practise what they have learnt at school or at a
training outfit.
7. People work so that they can contribute their own quota towards society development.
Why Do Different People Receive Different Income
People do different types of jobs, and they receive different rewards. Some of
these rewards can be seen, while some cannot be seen. Examples of such rewards
include the following:
1 Workers are paid some amount of money at the end of every month. This form
of payment is known as salary or wages.
How workers are rewarded
Workers receiving their salaries from the bank
2 Workers can be rewarded for working hard by promoting them. This means
raising their positions. For instance, a worker can be promoted from a clerk to
a supervisor.
3 Workers can be rewarded by giving them merit awards and prizes, in order to
encourage them and others to work harder.
4 Workers are usually given allowances, such as housing, meal and transport
allowances.
5 They are usually given a salary increment every year.
6 Workers sometimes receive bonuses.
Problems of wages and income distribution
1 Most employees are not satisfied with their income because they regard it as
too small. A lot of people are looking for jobs, and many companies offer little
wages or salaries and are not ready to increase such wages.
2 Many organisations do not pay wages or salaries on time. Sometimes, some
workers may not receive their salaries for two or three months because of one
reason or the other.
3 Some companies may be experiencing difficulty such as poor sales or
mismanagement of funds. Such companies may even close down after some
time, leading to non-payment of workers’ salaries.
4 Workers may decide to go on strike in order to fight for their rights in some
organisations. Such organisations may decide to sack such workers or even
refuse to pay them.
5 Some employers do not recognise their hardworking employees by rewarding
them properly.
6 Some organisations keep many of their workers as casual labourers. This
usually means that they would pay the workers little wages, fail to improve
their welfare and could sack them any time.
Ways Of Solving The Problems Of Income Distribution
1 Employers of labour and the government should offer better salaries to
workers, in order to motivate them to work harder.
2 Employers should pay workers’ salaries on time, so that the employees would
be comfortable and happy.
3 Employers of labour and the government should be concerned about the
welfare of their workers, in order to discourage them from going on strike.
4 The government and other employers of labour should create better working
conditions for workers, in order to make them comfortable, and to motivate
them to work harder.
5 Employing people as casual labourers should stop. All workers should be
employed as permanent workers and free to enjoy every benefit (salary,
allowance, leave, promotion) of a worker.
Solutions to the problems of wages and income
distribution
1 Employers of labour and the government should offer better salaries to
workers, in order to motivate them to work harder.
2 Employers should pay workers’ salaries on time, so that the employees would
be comfortable and happy.
3 Employers of labour and the government should be concerned about the
welfare of their workers, in order to discourage them from going on strike.
4 The government and other employers of labour should create better working
conditions for workers, in order to make them comfortable, and to motivate
them to work harder.
5 Employing people as casual labourers should stop. All workers should be
employed as permanent workers and free to enjoy every benefit (salary,
allowance, leave, promotion) of a worker.
Factors that Determine wages and income
- Period of learning
- Risk involved in the job
- Skills and expertise
- Prevailing Labour law or price control
- Availability of Labour supply
Presentation
The topic is presented step by step
Step 1 : He revises the previous topics
Step 2 : The class teacher introduces the new topic
Step 3 : The class teacher allows the pupils to give their own contributions and he or she corrects them when the needs arise
Evaluation
1 define wages.
2 define salary.
3 say the difference between a wage and a salary.
4 mention at least five reasons why people work.
5 mention at least three ways of rewarding workers.
6 write at least three problems of income distribution in Nigeria.
7 mention ways of solving those problems.
Exercise
A Choose the best answers for the following questions.
1 The amount of money paid to a particular workers after completing a
particular job is called ____________.
A salary B income C wage
2 The total sum of money which a worker earns at the end of every month is
called ____________.
A salary B income C wage
3 ____________ can be paid daily.
A Salary B Income C Wages
4 One of these is not part of the reasons why people work.
A To earn money B For them not to be idle
C To become armed robbers
5 Anybody that does not work can become ____________.
A armed robber B rich C wealthy
6 One of these is a way of rewarding workers for a job well done. _____________.
A giving them query at the end of the month
B giving them bonuses C making them to work overtime
7 Salary increment is part of __________________________________________.
A reward for a hardworking worker B punishment for a lazy worker
C encouraging stealing
8 Strike is _______________________.
A when workers hold meeting together B when workers refuse to work
C when workers demonstrate by carrying placard
9 Strike is a way of ________________________________________.
A showing appreciation to the employers
B increasing the level of productivity C fighting for workers’ rights.
10 Payment of workers’ salaries on time is a way of ___________________________.
A solving the problems of income distribution
B punishing the workers C making the workers lazy.
Conclusion
The class teacher gives out a short note and he or she goes round to do the necessary marking .
Assignment
Please kindly prepare for the next lesson by reading about
Types of communication.
