Government urged to freeze minimum wage for young workers
Charlotte Goddard
Tuesday, January 5, 2010
The Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development has called on the government to freeze the national minimum wage for younger workers this year.
The human resources body made the call, which it says would ensure government attempts to combat youth unemployment are not undermined, in a pre-election manifesto, 2010 - A Recovery That Works.
John Philpott, chief economic adviser at the institute, said: "We strongly welcome the steps the government has taken to avoid the creation of a ‘lost generation' in the UK. But freezing the national minimum wage for younger workers is necessary to ensure that all this good work is not fatally undermined just as the economy begins to recover."
He added: "It is right that younger workers lucky enough to have jobs should play their collective part in helping maximise the chances for those who do not."
