Lobby group supports new minimum wage plan
The lobby group said that public sector pay was "significantly higher and not tied to profitability or investment".
'Economic viability'
It argued that a high minimum wage has a "cascading effect" on the median "reinforcing upward wage spirals".The change would see the current hourly minimum wage rate of £12.25 increased to about £13.46 in April, a slightly lower rate than the living wage which stands at £13.74.It meant that a previous bid to align the minimum wage with the living wage was scrapped.The Chamber of Commerce had argued that the previous plans to align the minimum wage and living wage this year would have a "significant impact" on businesses.But the new approach "supports fair pay while maintaining economic viability for employers," the group said.Chief executive Rebecca George said: "We support the direction of travel, but we also want to ensure that this policy shift results in fair, workable outcomes for businesses and employees alike."
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