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Low Pay Commission to visit Preston and Blackburn

Blackburn and Preston will be visited by two low pay commissioners on the 18th December, as part of a “fact-finding” tour of the UK.

Low pay commissioners have been sent around the country over the course of 2012 to investigate National Minimum Wage (NMW) operations, and to gather information around the issue.

The Low Pay Commission is an independent statutory public body set up in the 1980s to report to the Government on the workings of minimum wage.

So far this year, the organisation has visited Bangor and Anglesey, Harlow College, Kent, Sheffield and London, to hear from companies and workers.

Representatives from the Blackburn and Preston area will meet with low pay commissioners John Hannett and Prof.Steve Machin, to give their views on how NMW has affected businesses and employees.

Commenting, Mr Hannett said: “Hearing directly from those affected by the National Minimum wage is an important part of the Commission’s work and informs our recommendations to the Government.

“Our visits take us around the UK and we welcome the opportunity to hear how the National Minimum Wage has affected people in Blackburn and Preston.”

In March this year the commission recommended an increase in minimum wage from £6.08 to £6.19 an hour for adult minimum wage, while the apprentice rate went up 5 pence from £2.60, the Youth Development Rate remained at £4.98 an hour, and the 16-17-year old rate stayed at £3.68 and hour.

These recommendations were brought in from 1st October this year, after the Chair of the Low Pay Commission, David Norgrove said in March: “Business told us that the NMW simplification they want is not change to the law, but clear and accessible advice about it.

“We have concerns over the quality and availability of guidance on the NMW so have recommended improvements to the guidance.“We are very concerned over the apparent low levels of awareness of rights and obligations under the NMW and also that the policy announced last January of publicly naming wilful infringers has not been used.

“We would like to see the Government take actions to raise awareness, and also to make frequent use of naming policy to show that those who infringe the NMW get caught and punished.”

This was posted in Bdaily's Members' News section by Miranda Dobson .