Londoners are to be first in the UK to benefit from a new government campaign to boost awareness of the national minimum wage (NMW) and help expose companies flouting the law.
The three-month, nationwide campaign has been launched today in East London with the unveiling of a minimum wage information tour bus.
The ‘£5.52: Are you on board?’ bus will travel to more than 30 towns and cities across the UK, providing free help and information to members of the public, as well as access to online and phone support.
It is estimated that one million people in the UK currently earn the national minimum wage, which increased in October last year to £5.52 for people aged 22 and over, £4.60 for 18 to 21-year-olds and £3.40 for 16- and 17-year-olds, .
Launching the campaign, employment relations minister Pat McFadden said: “Every worker should earn a fair wage for a fair day’s work. We want to make sure workers know their rights and employers know their responsibilities.
“The NMW remains one of the most important new rights introduced by this government. Employers who don’t pay the minimum wage are not only cheating workers, they are undercutting honest businesses.”
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The Department for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform, which is funding the campaign, hopes the bus will reach almost 800,000 people during its journey.
TUC general secretary Brendan Barber said: “Working people will be pleased to see the government standing up for their right to earn a legal wage and will be hoping that unscrupulous bosses get the message that they cannot continue cheating their workers out of a decent wage.”
