Unions Want Apprentice Minimum Wage

Trade unions have called on the UK government to introduce a minimum wage of £110 per week for apprentices, most of whom are exempt from minimum wage laws.

At present, apprentices aged under 19 and older apprentices in the first year of their programmes are exempt from the national minimum wage. The TUC says these categories account for 70% of apprenticeships.

In 2005, the introduction of an £80 minimum weekly pay rate for apprentices in England (£55 in Scotland, £50 in Wales and £40 in Northern Ireland) had a big impact in improving completion rates, the TUC points out.

The TUC is calling for minimum pay rates for apprentices in all parts of the UK to be raised to £110 - roughly equivalent to the national minimum wage for teenagers.

Brendan Barber, TUC general secretary, added: “Apprentices need to complete their training if it is to fully benefit themselves or their employer, so increasing completion rates is absolutely vital to the success of apprenticeships....Ten years on from the minimum wage becoming law, millions of low-paid workers have benefited from better pay and protection from exploitation. It's now time for apprentices to benefit from these rights too.”