National Minimum Wage boost for thousands of Moray workers welcomed
For millions of workers, today (Tuesday, April 1) will see their pay packets swell by almost 20 per cent as the National Minimum Wage increases.
Around 2500 Moray workers receive the National Minimum Wage, which has increased to £12.21 per hour, an uplift of 6.7 per cent. The youngest workers and apprentices have received an even larger increase of up to 18 per cent, in an effort to reduce the unfair undervaluation of young workers.
Moray is one of the lowest waged areas in the UK making the increase in the minimum wage all the more significant.
Welcoming the increase in the minimum wage, Moray Labour Group Leader Councillor Sandy Keith said: "I welcome the 6.7 per cent increase in the national minimum wage which comes into force today.
“As someone who worked for many years in jobs at or near the minimum wage level, I know what a difference this will make to many.
“I am also fully supportive of the even larger uplift for young people in employment. I was speaking to one such young man recently who is over the moon at seeing the increase and what it means for him.
“The new minimum wage levels are a good first step with more to do to make work pay."
In addition to directly benefitting those on the National Minimum Wage, it is expected that the increase will benefit many thousands more Moray workers, generally, as pay scales are revised upwards.
The National Minimum Wage was introduced by the last Labour government in 1998. This latest increase is the highest single increase in the minimum wage since its introduction.
