The Government has accepted the Low Pay Commission’s recommendations for this year`s national minimum wage (NMW) rates. The following rates will come into effect on 1 October 2011.
- For Adults: £6.08 an hour (15p increase)
- For 18-20 year olds: £4.98 an hour (6p increase)
- For 16-17 year olds: £3.68 an hour (4p increase)
- For apprentices: £2.60 an hour (10p increase)
The TUC welcomes the increases. “These rises are relatively modest, but they will provide a welcome pay boost for around 840,000 low-paid workers in the UK” said General Secretary Brendan Barber. This minimum wage increase should have an effect on tens of thousands of construction workers across the country.
Chancellor George Osborne announced in the Budget that the Government was considering reviewing the NMW every two years, rather than annually, in order to “provide greater certainty for business”