Britain raises minimum wage standards

Britain raised the National Minimum Wage (NMW) standards effective Tuesday which is expected to benefit more than 890,000 of the lowest paid workers in the country, Xinhua reported citing media reports.

According to a joint statement by the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills (DBIS) and the Low Pay Commission (LPC), from Oct 1 the NMW rate for adults will be increased by 12 percent to 6.31 pounds ($10.24) an hour, the rate for 18-20 year old workers will increase by 5 percent to 5.03 pounds an hour, that of 16-17 year old workers will be up by 4 percent to 3.72 pounds an hour while the apprentice rate will be up by 3 percent to 2.68 pounds an hour.

The NMW raise came after recommendations from the LPC which plays a crucial role in advising the government on setting the NMW rates every year.

"The National Minimum Wage is a vital safety net in protecting the low paid," British Business Secretary Vince Cable said.

"Each year, the LPC carries out a huge amount of detailed and valuable work to make sure they recommend a rate that supports people on low pay without damaging their chances of getting a job.

"But as signs of an economic recovery start to emerge, we need to do more to make sure that the benefits of growth are shared fairly across the board," he said.

At the same time, the government also warned that, from Oct 1, employers who fail to pay the NMW would be publicly named and shamed under revamped plans announced last month to make it easier to clamp down on rogue businesses.