From 13m agoLabour faces union backlash after minister suggests full living wage for over-18s might be delayed until after electionAnother leader of a union affiliated to Labour has condemned the suggestion from Torsten Bell this morning that Labour may postpone bring down the age at which workers get the full national living wage from 21 to 18 until after the next election. (See 9.23am.)Joanne Thomas, general secretary of Usdaw, the shopworkers union, said:
double quotation markWe are deeply concerned by voices within the government suggesting that Labour’s manifesto commitment to end minimum wage rip-off youth rates should not be delivered in full.
We are clear that the general election manifesto is for the lifetime of this parliament, and that is when the policy should be delivered.
The government has made a great start by tasking the Low Pay Commission to equalise the over-18s rate with the national living wage, and some progress has been made. The vast majority of young workers are already paid the over-21 rate or above; legally allowing them to be paid less undermines their position.
Thomas said her union also wanted to help young people into work and she said the government should support “good quality work”. That meant “full implementation of their Plan to Make Work Pay, improved access to reasonable adjustments, and sustained investment in skills and apprenticeships”, she said.Earlier Maryam Eslamdoust, general secretary of the TSSA transport union, said not implementing the manifesto pledge before the next election would be “disastrous”. (See 12.12pm.)Key events7m agoLabour seeks inquiry into Farage’s claim of Russia-linked phone hack13m agoLabour faces union backlash after minister suggests full living wage for over-18s might be delayed until after election51m agoStarmer condemns 'serious violation of Nato airspace' after Russian drone hits Romania1h agoFormer Labour deputy leader Tom Watson says his cancer has returned - but initial tests suggest treatment successful1h agoGovernment to impose tougher penalties for damaging undersea cables, minister says2h agoReform UK candidate declines to apologise to Vorderman over online comment, claiming she'd hear '100x worse' on building site2h agoBurnham doubles down on claim Blair's government did not roll back Thatcher's neoliberalism3h agoTSSA union leader says it would be 'disastrous' for Labour not to equalise minimum wage rates before next election3h agoHousing asylum seekers in former army barracks ruled unlawful for victims of torture4h agoStarmer suggests policies in Labour's 2024 manifesto not radical enough for what is needed now5h agoEd Davey claims delay in publication of defence investment plan 'shambolic and dangerous'5h agoMoD not properly addressing its £1.5bn fraud risk, MPs claim5h agoDWP pledges 300,000 new work experience and training placements for young people6h agoMinister insists Labour not committed by manifesto to applying national living wage to all over-18s before next electionShow key events onlyPlease turn on JavaScript to use this featureLabour seeks inquiry into Farage’s claim of Russia-linked phone hackLabour has reported the alleged hacking of Nigel Farage’s phone to police and government cybersecurity officials after the Reform UK leader failed to do so himself, Kiran Stacey reports.Labour faces union backlash after minister suggests full living wage for over-18s might be delayed until after electionAnother leader of a union affiliated to Labour has condemned the suggestion from Torsten Bell this morning that Labour may postpone bring down the age at which workers get the full national living wage from 21 to 18 until after the next election. (See 9.23am.)Joanne Thomas, general secretary of Usdaw, the shopworkers union, said:
