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| Long title | An Act to make provision for and in connection with a national minimum wage; to provide for the amendment of certain enactments relating to the remuneration of persons employed in agriculture; and for connected purposes. |
|---|---|
| Citation | 1998 c. 39 |
| Introduced by | Margaret Beckett, President of the Board of Trade[1] |
| Territorial extent | England and Wales; Scotland; Northern Ireland |
| Dates | |
| Royal assent | 31 July 1998 |
Status: Current legislation | |
| Text of statute as originally enacted | |
| Revised text of statute as amended | |
The National Minimum Wage Act 1998 (c. 39) creates a minimum wage across the United Kingdom.[2] From 1 April 2024, the minimum wage is £11.44 for people aged 21 and over, £8.60 for 18- to 20-year-olds, and £6.40 for 16- to 17-year-olds and apprentices.[3] (See Current and past rates.)
It was a flagship policy of the Labour Party in the UK during their successful 1997 general election campaign.[2] The national minimum wage (NMW) took effect on 1 April 1999. On 1 April 2016, an amendment to the act attempted an obligatory "National Living Wage" for workers over 25 (now extended to workers aged 23 and over), which was implemented at a significantly higher minimum wage rate of £7.20. This was expected to rise to at least £9 per hour by 2020,[4] but in reality by that year it had only reached £8.72 per hour.[5]
- ^ Hansard, National Minimum Wage Bill, 16 December 1997, accessed 5 February 2021
- ^ a b "National Minimum Wage". politics.co.uk.. E McGaughey, A Casebook on Labour Law (Hart 2019) ch 6(1)
- ^ Cite error: The named reference
gov_uk_2024was invoked but never defined (see the help page). - ^ Larry Elliott (30 March 2016). "Third of British workers may benefit from new legal pay level". The Guardian.
- ^ Richard Partington (31 December 2019). "Government misses minimum wage target set by Tories in 2015". The Guardian.