ENFORCEMENT of the minimum wage should be improved because of the methods being used by some employers to avoid paying the statutory rate, according to a report published today.
Research by the Citizens' Advice Bureau in Tyne and Wear showed that one security guard had his hours cut from 37 to 24 a week after his wages rose from £2.80 an hour to £3.60.
A care assistant complained that her employer introduced a charge of £9 a week for tea and coffee which had previously been provided without charge.
Some people work more than the 48 hours a week set out in the working time regulations to earn a decent wage, the research found.
''Here is grassroots evidence from CAB clients which offers a disturbing insight into the working lives of people in low-paid jobs," said Professor Grigor McClelland, of the Millfield House Foundation, which funded the study.
The report calls for workers to be made more aware of how to lodge complaints against employers.
The minimum wage is set to rise from £3.60 to £3.70 an hour in October
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