New minimum wage announcements

The government has announced new national minimum wage rates which will come into effect in October.

Workers aged 22 and over will see an increase from £5.73 to £5.80 an hour, while wages for 18 to 21-year-olds will also rise from £4.77 to £4.83 and for 16 and 17-year-olds, the rate increases to £3.57 an hour from £3.53.

Business secretary Lord Mandelson said: “The national minimum wage has been in place for 10 years and remains one of the most important rights for workers introduced in that time...I am very proud of the difference it has made to the lives of the UK’s lowest-paid workers. It protects them from exploitation and also creates a level playing field for business, making a huge contribution to the UK’s economic success.”