TUC welcomes changes to Low Pay Commission’s remit

Responding today’s (Tuesday) changes to the remit of the Low-Pay Commission, TUC General Secretary Paul Nowak said:

“Hard work should pay for everyone. These are significant first steps towards making the minimum wage a real living wage and will make a difference to millions.

“The government are right to ask the Low Pay Commission to be more ambitious next year and into the future.”

Commenting on the government’s commitment to remove discriminatory age bands for 18-20 year olds, Paul added:

“It is not right that young workers are paid less for doing the same job as older colleagues.

“The government is right to commit to ending discriminatory age bands for minimum wage workers. There is no justification for keeping them.

Young people face the same cost of living pressures as other adult workers and will welcome their pay being brought into line.”

TUC polling shows there is widespread support across the political spectrum for ensuring the minimum wage becomes a real living wage and ending discriminatory age bands.

The poll – carried out by Opinium – shows:

Real living wage: Three-quarters (76%) of 2024 voters support ensuring the national minimum wage rises to be a real living wage. This number rises to more than 8 in 10 (85%) for Labour, Lib Dem (86%) and Green (85%) voters and is hugely popular among 2024 Conservative (70%) and Reform voters too (77%).

Age bands:  Over 7 in 10 (71%) of 2024 voters support ensuring all workers over the age of 18 are paid the full minimum wage – not a lower rate for young workers. This number rises slightly higher for Labour (82%) and Green (88%) voters and remains high for Lib Dem (76%), Reform (69%) and Conservative (64%) voters.

The TUC estimates that over 700,000 18-20 year-olds are currently losing out on more than £2,400 a year as a result of being paid at a lower rate than older workers.