POORLY paid young workers in Swindon are in line for a pay rise.

The Government has announced it is broadening the National Minimum Wage to include 16- and 17-year-olds for the first time.

A new youth rate of £3 an hour will be introduced on October 1.

It is less than the adult minimum wage, currently £4.50 an hour, and is lower than the £3.80 an hour development rate for workers aged 18 to 21.

But it is the first time that employees of this age group have been given legal protection from bosses, who will now be required by law to stump up extra cash if they are paying 16- and 17-year-olds less than the minimum.

Nationally the new rate is set to benefit 1.6 million people, although workers under 16 remain excluded from protection.

Trade Secretary Patricia Hewitt said she made her decision based on advice from the Low Pay Commission, which had found continued evidence that young workers were receiving little or no training and exploitative rates of pay.

The Department of Trade and Industry had signalled its intention to introduce the new youth rate in its submission to the Commission. It said: "The government introduced the national minimum wage to end exploitation through low wages and as part of its policies to make work pay.

"It would be wrong to allow 16- and 17-year-olds in employment, the youngest workers, to be exploited through low wages."

Kevin Brandstatter, organising officer for the Swindon branch of the GMB union, welcomed the new youth rate but said 16 and 17-year-olds should be paid as much as adults.

"They deserve to get a decent wage, and it should be equal to the adult minimum," he said.

"Sixteen and 17-year-olds can get married and have kids so they should get paid an adult wage.

"Companies will use very young labour because it costs them less. But everyone deserves a decent standard of living."

Reaction to the £3 an hour youth rate has largely been positive.

The Confederation of British Industry said firms accepted the idea of a minimum wage for 16- and 17-year-olds, and praised the Low Pay Commission for introducing the wage at a cautious rate.

Dennis Grant, chief executive of Swindon Chamber of Commerce, said: "We support the move but we are a little bit cautious because smaller businesses have traditionally taken on younger workers so it could be more expensive for them and might backfire. We will be watching carefully to see what happens."

The Government has also announced the adult minimum will rise to £4.85 an hour in October, and the development rate to £4.10.

But Mr Brandstatter pointed out that because wages in Swindon were above the national average, the minimum would not impact significantly on wages in the town.

He called for the national minimum to be raised to £5 an hour for workers of all ages.

Not only would this benefit the low paid, he said, it would mean a lot more people would get off state benefits and start paying tax.

"If everyone was given a decent living they wouldn't have to scrabble about on tax credits," he added.