Tipping - Point?

I do have a problem with tipping. I feel uncomfortable about it & I'm not at all sure I agree with doing it. In my working life I got paid a salary from my employer for doing the job I chose to do. I worked quite hard to get to the top of my profession & as far as I can remember I have never received or expected a tip. (That might not be completely accurate because I did several holiday jobs to get me through college).

If we tip people for services we are already paying for, such as taxi drivers, waiters etc, are we perpetuating a system which doesn't pay them a reasonable rate for the work they do? I think the answer is yes. If I go to a restaurant or get in a taxi I expect the employer to base his / her charges on an accurate knowledge of the costs of the service, including paying a reasonable living wage, which reflects the skills & experience of the employee.

If I am expected to tip in addition to paying the charge, I am actually condoning the employers inability to manage his business effectively or efficiently. There is also the issue of the "minimum wage" and the "living wage". Employers need to be actively encouraged to pay the higher of the two - the "living wage".

My only reason for tipping, in most circumstances, would be that the employee has been particulary helpful or has gone out of his / her way to do something specifically for me.

All of this becomes much more complex when I go abroad to countries which don't have the long history of fair employment and union protection that we do in the UK. In many countries low paid workers have to rely on tips to exist. The same observations above do apply, but in developing countries there is no mechanism to protect the worker. So I tip, but worry about the system.

In these circumstances the tourist or business person needs to be very aware of the basic economics of the country, because they can inadvertantly skew the system out of all proportion. Visitors from the developed world have a responsibility not to overtip & create an imbalance for everyone else. I have been in countries where the tips which are expected nowadays bear no resemblance to the average monthly income of low paid workers. I feel it's better to tip more people a little, than tip a few people a lot.

What is just as important is to spend your money in local shops & businesses, so it gets down to grass roots level. So many tourists & business people just spend their dollars or sterling in the hotel which is already making a relatively high income & is often owned by a multinational chain. So, for example, take your dirty linen to the laundry round the corner - don't give it to room service. Buy your meals, snacks & drinks in local bars & restaurants. Visit local shops.

We really do need to be more aware of the impact of our money & spending power - both for good & ill.