Hywel Francis

Labour Party | Aberavon

MP Welcomes Rise in National Minimum Wage

Aberavon MP, Dr Hywel Francis, has welcomed the announcement that more than a million workers, two thirds of them low paid women will benefit from a rise in the National Minimum Wage from £5.35 to £5.52 an hour from October.

There will also be increases in the National Minimum Wage from £4.45 to £4.60 for 18-21 year olds, and from £3.30 to £3.40 for 16-17 year olds.

The announcement from Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, Rt Hon Alistair Darling MP, means the minimum wage has gone up by almost 30% more than inflation since it was introduced in 1999, with the number of jobs increasing by almost 2m in the same time. Since October last year the minimum wage for adults, combined with Working Tax credits and other benefits, has guaranteed an income of at least £268 a week for families with one child and one full-time worker.

Dr Francis said,

“I welcome this rise in the National Minimum Wage which will benefit over a million workers, two thirds of them women. The Minimum Wage helps to ensure that workers are paid fairly for the work that they do. It benefits families and plays an important role in the modern economy”

In January new measures came into force to back the minimum wage with tougher enforcement. These include:

• A typical penalty for underpaying a single worker is now more than £200.
• Employers who fail to pay the minimum wage can face prosecution, risking a criminal record and a £5,000 fine.
• The Government has already targeted hairdressing and childcare sectors for enforcement. The next sector will be hotels, followed by hospitality.

Since 1999 the Government has helped tens of thousands of workers recover £22.6 million in unpaid wages.