Pictures of E Hodgkins holiday in Ramsgate 1928     |        thanetonline blog   More pictures   Even more pictures                                                    Title 95 Editor's notes: 1. 1. The National Minimum Wage was introduced in 1999. The current National Minimum Wage for adult workers is £5.73, the rate for 18-21 year olds is £4.77 and the rate for 16 and 17 year olds is £3.53. For more information, visit: http://www.direct.gov.uk/en/Employment/Employees/TheNationalMinimumWage/index.htm 2. David Cameron campaigned against the introduction of minimum wage, predicting it would 'send unemployment straight back up.' Labour's plans for minimum wages, the Social Chapter and large increases in spending and taxes would send unemployment straight back up. The Chronicle (Stafford), February 21 1996 The Labour Party opposed each and every one of our reforms. Even today they would burden business with the minimum wage, the Social Chapter, and trade union privileges. David Cameron, Stafford Post, April 24 1997 The Conservatives voted against third and second readings of the National Minimum Wage Act 1998: Source: Second Reading of the National Minimum Wage Act, Hansard, Cmn 236, Division 120, 16 December 2009 http://www.publications.parliament.uk/pa/cm199798/cmhansrd/vo971216/debtext/71216-36.htm#71216-36_div120 Source: Third Reading of the National Minimum Wage Act, Hansard, Cmn 273, Division 194, 9 March 1998 http://www.publications.parliament.uk/pa/cm199798/cmhansrd/vo980309/debtext/80309-79.htm#80309-79_div194 3. Using tips to make up minimum wage level pay will be outlawed from October 1st 2009. 4. Under rules in place since the introduction of the National Minimum Wage, where tips and gratuities are given directly to workers by customers and are retained by the workers without any other party being involved, they cannot count towards NMW payment. Where service charges, tips, gratuities and cover charges, are paid by the employer to the worker via the payroll then the tip can count towards national minimum wage pay. For more information, please contact the Labour Party press office on 020 7783 1393. All news releases are issued on a check against delivery basis and any portion of the speech not actually delivered should be regarded as private and confidential.