Union leaders call for a rise in the minimum wage

Union leaders are demanding that the minimum wage rises to £6 an hour by October 2008.

The call for a 12% rise will be in the TUC's submission to the Low Pay Commission this weekend.

It comes ahead of next month's rise for workers over 22 from £5.05 to £5.35 in October.

The union body will also urge ministers to hire more inspectors to crack down on rogue employers flouting the law.

And it will call for the lower rate - currently £4.25 - paid to 100,000 workers aged 18-21 to be scrapped.

TUC general secretary Brendan Barber said: "The minimum wage has made a real difference to a million low-paid workers every time it has been increased, with no adverse economic effect.

"There is no sound reason why we should not continue to boost the wages of the very low paid above inflation. There should be no hiding place for crooks cheating workers by paying poverty wages."

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By Daniel Thomas

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