Eric Joyce

Labour Party | Falkirk

Local MP Welcomes Increase In National Minimum Wage

Falkirk West MP. Eric Joyce, has welcomed last weeks announcement that the Government will increase the National Minimum Wage (NMW) to £5.05 in October this year and to £5.35 in October 2006.

The rise is in line with the recommendations of the Low Pay Commission and will take the minimum wage, at its Oct 2006 level, to almost 50% above its 1999 introductory rate.  The latest increase will extend coverage of the minimum wage to 1.3 million UK workers (circa 140,000 workers in Scotland) in 2005 and 1.4 million UK workers (circa 150,000 workers in Scotland ) in 2006.

Speaking today, Eric Joyce MP said

‘The National Minimum Wage, introduced by this Labour Government in April 1999, is helping thousands of low paid workers throughout Scotland and hundreds here in Falkirk West.

Some 1,600 or so people locally will be benefiting again from this significant increase, many of them women and part-time workers, and I’m sure they’ll be pleased to learn that there’s a definite pay increase coming their way in a few months time..’