Welfare Reform on the Web (April 2008): Minimum Wage - UK

A fair day's wage for a fair day's work? Sweated labour and the origins of minimum wage legislation in Britain

S. Blackburn

Aldershot : Ashgate, 2007

This fascinating book examines the history of sweated labour in Britain, government responses and the background to the 1906 turning point and the Legal Minimum Wage, and looks at how the minimum wage has operated in practice from the early 1900s to the present day. The final chapter provides some conclusions about the lessons learned. It will appeal to policymakers, researchers and anyone with an interest in the development of industrial relations, corporate social responsibility and wage policy in the UK.

Minimum wage rises by 21p

The Guardian. 6 March 2008, p. 10

The government has announced a 21p increase in the minimum wage which will be introduced in October and raise the adult rate from £5.52 an hour to £5.73. Although this is set to benefit almost a million workers, unions have called for a 'bolder approach' and an increased rate of £7.00 an hour.

(See also: Financial Times, March 6th 2008, p. 4)