Nursery World - Call for rise to mimimum wage to prevent poverty for low earners

The public services union Unison is calling for the National Minimum Wage to rise substantially in October 2012 to prevent millions of low-paid workers falling into poverty.

Their recommendations come ahead of the new National Minimum Wage rates for 2011/12, which will come into place next month.

The Union is also calling for the full NMW rate to begin at 16-years-old, rather than 21.

As of 1 October this year, the adult NMW rate (over 21-years-old) will increase by 15 pence to £6.08 an hour, the rate for 18-20-year-olds will increase by 6p to £4.98 an hour and for 16-17-year-olds it is to rise by 4p to £3.68 an hour.

The rate for apprentices, under or over 19-years-old and in the first year of their apprenticeship, will rise by 10p to £2.60 an hour.

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