Tuesday, March 4, 2008

Exciting plans to end age discrimination in the National Minimum Wage

After Labour Link Committee this morning I chaired a meeting UNISON had organised between organisations outside the trade unions we thought might be interested in working on the National Minimum Wage age differentials and apprentice rate.

We had representatives from a really broad range of organisations; which were National Union of Students, Child Poverty Action Group, and Young Women’s Christian Association. Sadly the British Youth Council didn’t attend.

It was really interesting to look at the affects of the NMW from different perspectives, from it’s implications of child poverty to the costs of a working students.

There was a consensus that the up coming 10th anniversary of the National Minimum Wage would be a useful opportunity. We identified the October submission date to the Low Pay Commission as a key point as well, Apprentices Week early 2009 (blink and you’ll miss it), and then around the actual anniversary in April 09.

We’re all now going back to our own organisations to develop our plans and ideas and are coming back together in May to take the next steps.

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