There have been many who have questioned whether there is a discriminatory element within the National Minimum Wage Act in that employer could seek to cut costs by employing young workers in order to pay the lower rates of pay applicable to those under the age of 21.
Equally, there is the social argument that this is designed to encourage employers to take on school leavers where there is the highest rate of unemployment and the longer these people remain unemployed, the more disillusioned they become.
The introduction of the National Living Wage (NLW) has been a spark and seen an increase in these discussions, like a wind blowing over the burning embers of a fire.
So, it was interesting to see that The House of Commons library has produced a debate pack titled “Age Discrimination and The National Living Wage”. The pack was introduced by Holly Lynch MP, (Opposition Whip in the Commons)
Now, before going any further, what is a debate pack?
Essentially it is a document prepared by the House of Commons Library for MPs to debate. This particular document was created on 6 June and was intended for debate in the House on 8 June
The debate duly took place under the Chairmanship of Mr Davies MP and there were 17 contributions to the debate – these can be found here.
The debate included a contribution from Mhairi Black SNP who observed that but for the fact that she was an MP, she would not be entitled to the new National Living Wage. There was also reference to William Pitt the Younger who also would not have been entitled, although when he became Prime Minister at the age of 24 in 1783 the National Minimum Wage legislation did not exist.
Some interesting food for thought in the debate but what happens next? Holly Lynch undertook to take the issue further with a request that “other hon. Members will join me in continuing to keep this campaign going”.
