‘Keep minimum wage down’ urges BRC

22/08/2008

Retailers have asked Alistair Darling to keep increases to the national minimum wage as low as possible as he drafts the pre-budget report.

In a letter to the chancellor this morning, the British Retail Consortium (BRC) asked him to use the report to ‘restore consumer confidence’ by easing pressures on retailers.

The letter, which outlined six ‘strategies for success’ to help retailers survive the economic downturn, said the industry employs three million workers in the UK.

However, it added that retailers are struggling to sustain payments of higher and higher wages.

The BRC urged the chancellor to ‘take into account difficult trading conditions, such as the current environment, and the impact on the service sector’ to make sure minimum wage increases ‘never exceed average earning increases’.

“At this difficult time for retailers it’s vital the government acts to restore economic stability,” said Stephen Robertson, the BRC’s director general.

“Retail is responsible for over 10% of UK employment, leads the way on training and workforce diversity, and is at the heart of the government’s drive to help difficult-to-employ people back to work.

“Retailers support the national minimum wage, but future rises should not exceed average earnings increases,” he said.