Labour’s basic pay declaration is well-intentioned, but will achieve little when zero-hours contracts and weak enforcement undermine employment law
Last week, Labour members backed the fight for a £15-an-hour minimum wage at their annual party conference in Brighton. The vote, which may or may not inform the party’s future policy, has kicked off a debate over what figure the UK should be aiming for as a basic wage floor.
But this bold declaration of intent is almost meaningless in the current employment environment. The legal hourly minimum has risen just over 46% in the past decade to £8.91 an hour, but this is a fig leaf of achievement. Widely touted by the current government, it masks poor employment regulation, meaning millions of struggling families have not seen the full benefit.
