A £10.50 an hour minimum wage for all over the age of 21! A nice idea but is this an attempt to outbid the Labour Party? Labour laid down a pledge earlier this year to raise the minimum rate to £10 an hour by next year, Sajid Javid is suggesting the £10.50 rate by 2024 with the lowering of the age eligible to receive it.
Although, the increase will be greatly received by recipients, small businesses are asking how they are expected to cover it. The concession from Sajid Javid is they will have time to prepare as 2024 is the proposed deadline. Currently the five year uprating period for national minimum wage ends next year, so does the 2024 deadline mean the uprating will be continued.
At this time, it is only words from Sajid Javid and of course John McDonnell. The proof as they say “is in the eating”.
Of course the Living Wage Foundation already advocate an hourly rate of £9 an hour for UK and a London rate of £10.55 and hour. So it leaves the question what rate will these be in the same timescale?