National Minimum Wage to Cut Child Poverty?

Small Business News

Ex-minister links Minimum Wage with child poverty.

According to the Associated Press, David Blunkett, the ex Work & Pension Secretary, has called for the National Minimum Wage to be "increased significantly" if there is to be any cut in the levels of child poverty.

Mr Blunkett believes that a steady rise in the Minimum Wage to 50% of the average wage levels will be enough to meet government targets of halving child poverty by 2010.

On the contrary, last year the Confederation of Business Industry (CBI) called for only a modest rise in the National Minimum Wage, urging the Low Pay Commission and other bodies to consider the fact that the NMW had risen by 53% since it introduction in 1999 whereas average earnings had increased by just 38% over the same period.

The UK's minimum wage is the third highest in the world behind France and Australia yet Mr Blunkett believes it still needs to be increased to 50% of the average level so that it falls "in line with countries as variable as Ireland, Luxembourg, Bulgaria and Malta across the EU."