Millions of employees 'to benefit from wage increase'

Millions of employees 'to benefit from wage increase'

29.9.2008

Millions of employees across the UK will see their wage increase from this Wednesday.

The Trades Union Congress has announced that the national minimum wage will go up from £5.52 per hour to £5.73.

This is the ninth rise since the statutory rate was first introduced in April 1998 and is an increase of 3.8 per cent.

The country's 16 and 17-year-olds will see their minimum wage increase from £3.40 to £3.53, while it will rise from £4.60 to £4.77 for 18 to 22-year-olds.

The TUC has also said that it plans to encourage the Low Pay Commission to recommend a further "significant" increase in the minimum wage for next year.

"The Low Pay Commission should robustly reject employer scaremongering and recognise the higher inflation faced by the low paid when it shortly sets next year's increase," said TUC general secretary Brendan Barber.

Earlier this month it was reported that the credit crunch has not stopped companies offering their employees pay rises, according to a survey by Incomes Data Services.

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