All Construction workers in the UK are entitled to be paid at least the national minimum wage.
The minimum wage applies to:
- all workers over school leaving age
- overseas workers even if they are only in the UK for a short time
- agency workers and homeworkers who may not otherwise qualify as ‘workers' in employment legislation
- Crown employees
- staff of the House of Commons and House of Lords
- mariners
- agricultural workers already covered by the agricultural minimum wage
It does not apply to:
- the genuinely self-employed, office holders, directors (unless they have an employment contract)
- school children below school leaving age
- the armed forces
- share fishermen
- voluntary workers
- prisoners working under prison rules
Construction UK National Minimum Wage
The national minimum wage applies to nearly all workers and sets hourly rates below which pay must not be allowed to fall.
It is an important cornerstone of Government strategy aimed at providing employees with decent minimum standards and fairness in the workplace. It helps business by ensuring companies will be able to compete on the basis of quality of the goods and services they provide and not on low prices based predominantly on low rates of pay.
The rates set are based on the recommendations of the independent Low Pay Commission. The rates change on 1st October each year.
UK National Minimum Wage rates from 1 October 2007
- Workers aged 22 and over - £5.52 per hour
- Workers aged 18-21 - £4.60 per hour
- Workers aged 16-17 - £3.40 per hour
- Accommodation offset - £4.30 per day (£30.10 per week)
UK New National Minimum Wage rates from 1 October 2008
- Workers aged 22 and over - £5.73 per hour
- Workers aged 18-21 - £4.77 per hour
- Workers aged 16-17 - £3.53 per hour
- Accommodation offset - £4.46 per day (£31.22 per week)
UK CONSTRUCTION JOBS - AVERAGE WAGES IN THE UK |
|
BRICKLAYER'S WAGES |
£11.25 |
CARPENTER'S WAGES |
£11.25 |
CURTAIN WALL FIXERS WAGES |
£11.50 |
ELECTRICIANS WAGES |
£10.50 |
ELECTRICIAN'S MATE'S WAGES |
£7.00 |
FORKLIFT DRIVER'S WAGES |
£9.00 |
FORMWORK CARPENTER'S WAGES |
£11.25 |
GROUND WORKER'S WAGES |
£8.00 |
HANDYMEN'S WAGES |
£8.00 |
LABOURER'S WAGES |
£7.25 |
SKILLED LABOURER'S WAGES |
£6.00 |
LUL LABOURER'S WAGES |
£9.00 |
PAINTER'S WAGES |
£9.25 |
PAINTERS & DECORATOR'S WAGES |
£9.50 |
PIPE FITTER'S WAGES |
£11.25 |
PIPE FITTERS MATE'S WAGES |
£7.50 |
PLASTERER'S WAGES |
£11.25 |
PLUMBER'S WAGES |
£12.00 |
STEEL FIXER'S WAGES |
£10.50 |
TILER'S WAGES |
£10.50 |
UK Limits on Payments
Legislation provides for payments to be made to employees in certain circumstances. Employees may be entitled to guarantee payments, redundancy payments, payment by the Department for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform of certain debts owed by insolvent employers, damages for unfair dismissal. All these payments and awards are subject to financial limits.
Under the legislation, the Secretary of State is required to vary the limits on the various awards and payments mentioned above in line with the movement of the Retail Prices Index using the September Index in each year as the reference point. The changes are made by order as soon as is practicable.
UK Pay Statements
Most employees have a statutory right to receive individually, from their employers, a detailed written pay statement at or before the time of payment.
The information given here is general guidance only and should not be regarded as a complete or authoritative statement of the law.
Construction workers UK Links
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