THE HEAD of the jobs taskforce in Strabane has slammed as 'scandalous' suggestions that the National Minimum Wage could be reduced.
The current rate for adults is currently set at £5.35 per hour, and is due to rise later this year, but that could be about to change.
It has been suggested that British Prime Minister Gordon Brown is considering reducing the rate in the North, as well as in the north east of England, Wales and Scotland, because the cost of living is perceived as being lower in these areas.
But the Chairman of the Strabane Employment Taskforce is outraged at the suggestion.
He is fearful that some employers may seize the opportunity to exploit workers.
"I think that any suggestion to reduce the minimum wage can be accurately summed up in one word - scandalous. It wouldn't be any surprise to me though as Gordon Brown, a former chancellor, has shown himself to be ruthless when it comes to finances.
"The vast majority of employers are decent people, but there are some who would welcome this and who are unscrupulous when it comes to wages.
"Reducing the wage will affect low-level workers, the likes of those in retail, cleaners and production operatives who will suffer by any change in legislation. These people need an increase in their rate of pay, not a decrease."
He also admitted that any reduction to the minimum wage would make it difficult to persuade people that working is a viable venture.
"There's a relationship between willingness to work and it being worthwhile to work. It's hard enough to convince people to work at what are already low levels of pay, but if they are reduced further then it will simply be more profitable for people to claim benefits, and they will never make their way out of the benefits trap.
The Citizens Advice Bureau, which runs the National Minimum Wage Helpline, has expressed concern.
"We would be strongly opposed to any plans to regionalise the minimum wage. The minimum wage has always been a central Government issue and deploying responsibility for this could open the door for regionalisation of the Benefits system and other nationally set policies.
"The minimum wage is a statutory employment right which has seen thousands of low paid workers benefit from annual increases since its introduction in 1999."
Citizens Advice has run the NMW Helpline for the North since 2001 and receives thousands on calls each year from workers and employers seeking advice and information.
"Workers who suspect that their employer is non-compliant can make an anonymous complaint to the HMRC Compliance Team via the Helpline. Last year the Helpline referred 126 complaints of suspected non-compliance to HMRC's Belfast based compliance team. Of those investigations, 75% of the employers were found to not be paying the minimum wage resulting in arrears of wages being identified for 299 workers and taking the total amount of arrears identified in Northern Ireland since the introduction of the legislation to over £2.5million."
