Labour committed to raising National Minimum Wage

13.04.10 - John, Unions Together

In 1997, it was perfectly legal to pay workers £1 an hour. For a hundred years, Labour had campaigned for a national minimum wage to help end poverty pay. In 1999 Labour took the historic step of introducing the National Minimum Wage Act – one of the labour movement’s proudest achievements. For 10 years, the minimum wage has continued to rise, keeping up with inflation, and maintaining the same (or higher) spending power as it had when it was introduced.

The Tories opposed the introduction of the minimum wage, claiming it would be too expensive for businesses, and that jobs would be lost a result. How wrong they were.

Yesterday, when it launched its manifesto for a 4th term, Labour committed itself to doing even more for those earning the least. It announced that it would give the Low Pay Commission the responsibility to raise the minimum wage in line not just with inflation, but with average earnings as well. This would mean greater annual rises in the minimum wage, and a higher wage overall. More than that, they have also pledged that government departments, and those private sector firms contracted by the government, will be expected to pay a living wage of around £7.60 an hour – a pay rise for 200,000 of the lowest paid workers.

Contrast this with the Tories, whose manifesto contains a tax cut for 3000 millionaires, while doing nothing for those hard working people earning the least. They might claim to support the minimum wage now, but they opposed its introduction, and senior Tories have even claimed they will let it “wither on the vine” by making sure it doesn’t keep pace with inflation.

When you put these manifestos side-by-side, it's clear which party is on the side of working people.

Help keep David Cameron and his pals from getting their hands on the country. Join one of our weekends of action taking place across Brtiain.

Read more about Labour's manifesto.