Mon, 10 Jan 2011
The new year will see additional steps being taken by the government to ensure those running a business are adhering to minimum wage rules.
HM Revenue & Customs (HMRC) is introducing the new Dynamic Response Team next month, with the aim of ensuring employers are complying.
The minimum wage for those aged 22 and over was raised to £5.80 in October, with firms required to pay anyone between the age of 18 and 21 at least £4.83 per hour.
And financial secretary to the Treasury Stephen Timms explained that the new HMRC team will play an important role in clamping down on those who ignore the legislation.
Business minister Pat McFadden, meanwhile, stated that the fight against non-payment of the minimum wage is being stepped up because evasion hurts not only workers, but also "responsible employers who play by the rules".
"The minimum wage is a key part of the government's strategy to establish fairness in the workplace and the benefits of the minimum wage are felt by about one million workers every year, especially women and part-time workers," he said.
Working on HMRC's most complicated and high-profile cases, the Dynamic Response Team is expected to focus particularly on instances in which migrant labourers are paid too little in an attempt to undercut competitors.
Last week, the Trades Union Congress called for action to support the long-term unemployed that includes entitlement to a job paying at least the minimum wage for six months or more for anyone who has been out of work for one-and-a-half years.
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