LABOUR has announced that if they win the General Election in 2015 they will raise the minimum wage to £8 an hour.
Currently 23% of Thurrock’s workforce are paid less than a living wage, 31% of all women in work in Thurrock are paid less than a living wage and 49% of all part-time workers in Thurrock.
Labour’s candidate to be Thurrock’s next MP Polly Billington said:
"Thousands of people in Thurrock will benefit from a higher minimum wage and that’s why I am so pleased that Labour will increase the rate to £8 an hour if we win the General Election.
"Low pay is a real scourge because it means people struggle to make ends meet, and many employers rely on their workers claiming benefits to subsidise the wages they pay out.
"£8 an hour minimum wage would mean someone would be £3,000 a year better off if they work full time.
"Business will have time to adapt, which is important to make this change work, and it will save taxpayers’ money in benefit payments. It will mean we will have a minimum wage at the same sort of level as Germany and Australia.
"The Tories opposed the minimum wage and now people are £1600 a year worse off because of the choices this government has made and the value of the minimum wage has gone down.
"This change is part of Labour’s plan to make the economy work for working people.
