BUDGET: Labour betrays young voters with minimum wage u-turn
The Scottish Greens have slammed the UK Labour government's decision to maintain discriminatory minimum wage rates for younger workers, despite promising to scrap them.
Chancellor John Healey confirmed in today's Budget that the minimum wage will increase to £13.21 an hour for workers aged 21 and over from April 2027, while those aged 18 to 20 will receive just £11.27. This comes as the Real Living Wage sits much higher at £14.10 per hour.
The decision comes despite Labour's manifesto commitment to remove discriminatory age bands and ensure that all adults receive the same minimum wage, adding to the long list of manifesto pledges Labour has gone back on, including halting any new oil and gas projects and ending zero-hour contracts.
Scottish Green MSP Patrick Harvie said:
"Young people don't pay less for their rent, their energy bills or their weekly shopping, so why should they be paid less for doing exactly the same job?
"Labour promised to end this blatant discrimination, but has now turned its back on young workers who are struggling the most with the cost of living. The Scottish Greens have consistently called for an end to discriminatory age bands and a genuine living wage for everyone, regardless of age.
"Labour must stop making excuses, stop exploiting young workers, and deliver on the promises it made to young people by finally giving them equal pay."
Patrick added:
"An 18-year-old working behind a bar, in a supermarket or in a restaurant is doing the same work as their older colleagues. There is no justification for paying them almost £2 an hour less simply because of their age.
“We know that the real living wage is £14.10 per hour, so forcing 18-20 year olds to work for as little as £11.27 per hour falls far below what they need to live on. Labour’s budget has once again locked young people out of living a decent wage, whilst also keeping zero-hour contracts in place despite promising to abolish them.
“Young people are already facing economic enormous barriers, from being hammered by soaring rents, being forced into insecure work all whilst battling an increasingly unaffordable housing market
"The last thing young people need is a government telling them their labour is worth less than the worker next to them.
"If Andy Burnham is serious about tackling youth unemployment, he should not expect young people to be conned into subsidising wealthy businesses through lower wages.”