News from Sheffield Labour

Blomfield – “Happy 10th Birthday Minimum Wage”

On April 1st the National Minimum Wage is 10 years old. Paul Blomfield, Labour’s Parliamentary Candidate for Sheffield Central, has welcomed the anniversary and has thrown his support behind a campaign to improve and strengthen the Minimum Wage.

Paul Blomfield said:

“10 years ago on 1 April 1999 the Minimum Wage came into force and since then has improved the living standards of all those on low pay in Sheffield, narrowed the pay gap between men and women and put a stop to the days of £1 an hour wages. In the last 10 years over one million employees have benefited, two-thirds of them women.”

Paul is backing a campaign to improve the Minimum Wage that is being supported by the TUC, NUS, British Youth Council, Child Poverty Action Group and has parliamentary support from David Blunkett MP.

“The Minimum Wage is one of Labour’s great achievements and now after 10 years I want to see it strengthened and improved. I want to see the lower rates of pay for people under 22 removed so that all workers, regardless of their age, are paid the full rate for their job. I also want to see apprentices get paid the minimum wage, and I want tougher penalties for any rogue employer that thinks they can avoid paying their employees the minimum wage.

“As we’re in a downturn it’s more important than ever that the minimum wage is strengthened to help all employees on low pay.”

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