National Minimum Wage

Alex Cunningham Excerpts

Wednesday 15th January 2014 Commons Chamber

[Rachel Reeves]

Many people earning £6.31 an hour will be shocked and outraged to find out that bankers this year will get bonuses worth more than they earn, but they will be even more shocked to find out that they are the ones who are paying for those bonuses.

[Alex Cunningham (Stockton North) (Lab)]

I am suspicious about a tomato company that is expanding in my constituency. It appears to be replacing Stockton workers with people from overseas and paying them the minimum wage. I am told that those foreign workers are charged accommodation costs, so reducing the value of that wage. The company will not answer my letters. Does my hon. Friend understand my suspicions?

[Rachel Reeves]

I will come to that point shortly because the number of firms that are getting out of paying the minimum wage is incredibly worrying. We suggest increasing the fine to £50,000 for not paying the minimum wage, but there is no point in having such a fine if the legislation is not enforced.

--- Later in debate ---

[Vince Cable]

I do not know about the numbers, but certainly the minimum wage, in real terms, has declined by 5%, as a result of my predecessor on two occasions and me on three occasions following the advice of the Low Pay Commission.

[Alex Cunningham]

The RBS bankers and others in the City who led us into this terrible economic situation do a lot better than the national minimum wage, so does the Secretary of State think they should get bonuses of more than 100% of their salaries?

[Vince Cable]

I think hon. Members have had a chance to debate that already. I am a great advocate of the new model developed by Handelsbanken of relationship banking and no bonuses—that is what we ought to have—but I suspect that even their branch managers are paid above the minimum wage.