The Trades Union Congress says this higher rate should be paid to all workers, including under-23s.
The minimum wage in the UK should rise to £15 an hour "as soon as possible", the Trades Union Congress says.
Frances O'Grady, general secretary of the TUC, said: "Every worker should be able to afford a decent standard of living. "We've had promises from the government time after time, that we should have a high wage economy," Ms O'Grady told BBC Radio 4's Today programme. Before the minimum wage was first introduced in 1999 some economists warned it could lead to job losses because firms would hire fewer people. But there has been no evidence of overall job losses linked to the minimum wage.
There was no justification for paying lower rates to younger workers, Ms O'Grady added. Workers aged 18 to 20 are paid at £6.83 an hour. However, Matthew Percival, director of skills and inclusion at the CBI, which represents businesses, said there should not be a new target for the minimum wage and that any rise in its rate should be rooted in growth and higher productivity across the economy.
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