End of the minimum wage? (UK)

Well ladies and gentlfolk, I was browsing, the big bad interweb when I came across this intresting article

intensiveactivity.wordpress.com...

The Government has recently introduced a new National Minimum Wage (NMW) rate for apprentices in their first year of apprenticeship (or under 19) so they are only entitled to £2.50 per hour.

What you may not know is the Government is planning a secretive piece of legislation, currently in the “Bill” stage (Training Wage Bill) which has been delayed until 2011.

This “Private Members” Bill is designed to create a new wage exempt from the National Minimum Wage. I can only think it will mean a wage lower than the National Minimum Wage (otherwise it wouldn’t be required) and could perhaps even be lower than the £2.50 apprentice rate.

With no details being released about the Work Programme (which is expected to be a combination of Flexible New Deal and the scrapped Work for Your Benefit scheme) and an workfare scheme of some sort under way shortly… it is likely this Training Wage Bill is designed for the purpose of reducing wages further below NMW in particular to legalise workfare.

The official description (all that is dislcosed at the moment) is as follows:

A Bill to make provision that persons receiving a training wage are exempt from legislation relating to the minimum wage; and for connected purposes.

Training? Apprentices already have an National Minimum Wage rate. New Deal and Flexible New Deal etc. always were marketed at giving jobseekers new skills through an “employment course” scam (reduces claimant count).

I checked this out, heres the link to parliments page about it.

services.parliament.uk...

Thoughts anyone?

If this goes through in our current jobless climate, for those desperate for work and in certain segments of society it'll be a game of economic limbo.

how low can you go?

£1.00 - £1.50 an hour maybe?

I know people who are desperate enough for money that they'd work for that.

I've seen people work 60+ hour weeks for the low, low price of £95.

people are struggling as it is at the moment in the uk, adding an apprentiship wage of 2.50 or less will only create a new loop hole to exploit.... no wonder there is such a high crime rate ... people find it hard enough to live as it is.

i left england because of the way the country is run and am doing far better because of it. i can only hope this bill isnt passed,

I find it typical of our "free presses" that they have declined to make the people aware of this.

Hope if you feel guilty if you voted CONservative