Aberavon MP Supports Crackdown on Employers not Paying the Minimum Wage
16th January 2007
Aberavon MP, Dr Hywel Francis, has welcomed new powers announced recently that will mean that employers who refuse to pay the National Minimum Wage can end up with a criminal record and a £5,000 fine.
Dr Francis said,
"Workers have the right to a decent minimum wage and these new measures will ensure that they get it. To those employers avoiding the minimum wage the message is clear: don't pay it and you'll pay the penalty."
"The National Minimum Wage has already made a significant difference to 80,000 people in Wales. Before the National Minimum Wage was introduced, wages of as little as £1.20 per hour were common and legal."
"This Government has delivered a rising minimum wage increasing up to £5.35 per hour, at the same time as achieving the highest employment level ever, with 2.4 million more people in work than in 1997 and unemployment close to its lowest for around 30 years."
"Anyone who is concerned that they are not getting what they are owed can contact my office on 01639 897660."
