Brown's minimum wage pledge

NATIONAL MINIMUM WAGE

Brown’s minimum wage pledge

Speaking at the Labour Party conference in Brighton on 29 September 2009, prime minister Gordon Brown announced a commitment to raise the minimum wage every year, for the next five years.

Brown said: "In the last 12 years we created the first legal national minimum wage. And in every year of the next five years we will increase it."

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John Cridland, CBI Deputy Director-General, criticised the pledge. He said: “The Low Pay Commission was set up as an independent body to advise the government on the level of the minimum wage. There is a danger of undermining its standing if politicians make promises about what will happen to the minimum wage in future.” He added: “Ministers would not make promises about interest rates when they are set by an independent committee at the Bank of England, so it is troubling when they appear to treat the minimum wage in a different way.”

Want to know more?

Read the full text of Gordon Brown’ speech online at the Labour Party web site at www.labour.org.uk/gordon-brown-speech-conference,2009-09-29.