Employment MEPs use hearing to debate minimum wage

Only 7 of the European Union countries do not have a statuary minimum wage. In the remaining 20 the level varies considerably from €92 Euro a month in Bulgaria to €1570 in Luxembourg. A hearing by the Employment Committee of the European Parliament on 12 September 2007 looked at the extent to which minimum wages actually help tackle social exclusion. One of the issues raised was the plight of 'the working poor' - people with jobs but on the poverty line. Women, children and those over 65 are particularly affected by this.