Emma has welcomed Ed Miliband’s announcement that a Labour government would raise the National Minimum Wage to £8 an hour by 2020.
Under the plans the Minimum Wage would rise steadily from 2015 onwards, boosting the incomes of 1.4 million workers and providing relief to those who are suffering under the Coalition. For a person in full-time work the rise would be worth and extra £60 a week, or £3,000 a year.
Households in the North East will benefit most of all. 7% of jobs in the region pay the Minimum Wage – the highest of any region in England.
Women and young people will also feel the effects. One in ten working women are paid the Minimum Wage, while for young people the proportion is higher still.
The move could also help to bring down the UK’s benefits bill, because millions of workers on low pay will no longer need to claim Housing Benefit and other support.
Emma said:
“The Minimum Wage was one of the greatest achievements of the last Government, and made a huge difference for millions of low paid workers. But some of those gains have been lost under David Cameron, and the Minimum Wage has failed to keep up with the cost of living. As a result the number of working people in poverty is on the rise.
“People should be able to expect a fair reward for their work, and today’s announcement will make a real difference to people struggling to get by under the Coalition’s cost of living crisis.”