From Wednesday, the national minimum wage increases from £5.52 to £5.73 per hour for workers aged 22 and over, £4.77 for 18-21-year-olds and £3.53 for those aged 16 and 17.

Tough new penalties are set to come into force next April for employers that flout the rules, while an information campaign over the next six months will aim to make sure that every employer is aware of the changes.

Pat McFadden, employment relations minister, said: "Ten years ago, the National Minimum Wage was born, marking the start of a hard-fought campaign to introduce a basic standard of employment rights that every worker could be protected by. The minimum wage has made a lasting and significant difference to the low paid, with around a million workers benefiting from the increase each year.”

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