National Minimum Wage
Posted by nigelknowles on April 26, 2008
The National Minimum wage rate will rise from £5.52 to £5.73 for working adults, £4.60 to £4.77 for 18-21 year olds, and the 16-17 year age group will rise from £3.40 to £3.53.
Business Sectretary John Hutton said,
“The National Minimum Wage remains one of the most important rights introduced by the Government in the last decade. Before it was introduced, some workers could expect to be paid as little as 35p an hour. Our legislation has ensured that can no longer happen”.
At present, Parliament is being faced with new legislation that intends to increase the penalties for rogue employers who underpay staff. In support of the new legislation the Labour Government has increased funding for the enforcement of the National Minimum Wage.
Nearly a million people benefit from the National Minimum Wage Act that was passed in 1998 and on average each person is making £92 more each week than they did in 1999.
Even more significantly, over 600,000 children have been lifted out of poverty thanks to the Labour Government’s determination to tackle social injustice.
