So I work that out at 45 hrs a week, plus 4.5 hrs every third week, for an average of 46.5 hours a week.

£14,500 divided by 52 gives £278.85 a week, and that divided by 46.5 is £5.996 per hour.

If you are 21 or over the minimum wage is £6.08, 18-20 it's £4.98, and £3.68 for 16 and 17 year olds.

http://www.direct.gov.uk/en/employment/employees/t...

the argument they'll have is that your normal hours are only 45 a week. However, your hours need to be averaged over a 12 week period, which will come out at 46.5.

http://www.direct.gov.uk/en/Employment/Employees/P...

And they do have to pay you the arrears.

http://www.hmrc.gov.uk/paye/payroll/day-to-day/nmw...

I'm really not content, believe me. I'm sick of earning rubbish money and I'm in a rut I don't know where to go next to actually get a decent paid job, Rubbish pay Is all I've ever had in stable jobs.

I'm an NVQ level 3 and vw trained technician/mechanic which I worked bloody hard at, did good work and loved the job.
Got made redundant at end of apprenticeship in 2006 due to them not needing the staff(was always a risk of that happening). Then was a parts adviser on minimum or just above till 2010, moved into an 18k pa job at a parts supplier, the role was so pressurized with impossible targets(I mean impossible, not I was too lazy to achieve them, they wanted £1800 pre-vat a day sales, not easy when all your selling is filters, blades and brakes to the general public over a counter and your one of 3 doing it, while the long employed favorites in the phone office were getting turbos/clutches etc off the main trade customers).

So after the 6 month trial period they got rid of me and everyone else who started at the same time(since heard they are on their 4th lot of staff in those roles since I left). Got a 15k pa job 25 miles from home which killed me financially so started looking round and got this which is 2 miles from home, so that has saved me a fair packet.

Bit of a rant I know, Im not afraid of hard work, just really hard to get a job with an employer who pays decent money in my skilled area

Any job is better than no job, and as you say you're better off than you were before since the job is close to you.

This was me 10 years ago (VW too), now I have a ONC, HNC and BSc in Civil Engineering plus 10 years of industry experience. It can be done, but it isn't easy.

My salary has tripled in that time though, so it is worth it eventually.

Ah, but is he a 'Six Sigma Ninja' as well?

I have to agree, you ,at want to heed this advice.

Much as I do sympathise with your position, it is very much an employers market at the moment. Unfortunately, if you start making these demands, you could be 'managed' out of your job, and the door be opened to scores of others waiting to fill your shoes.

I wish you the best. There's money to be made in going independent, so certainly something to look into.

Or IT , getting the right skills is very hard

Re evaluate what you have told us about your pay and do not include your breaks as pay and remove 25 days holiday.

So you work 40 hours per week (no pay for breaks) plus 1.5 hours per week for a Saturday. Therefore 41.5 hours per week. Assume you are getting 25 days holiday so you are working 47 weeeks per year and you are being paid 14.5/47/41.5 = £7.43 not £5.99 - allowing for holidays and unpaid breaks.

This does not mean you shouldnt go and obtain a different/better paid job but you are not getting paid below minimum wage for hours worked.

Thanks to all of you for your comments, an update for you.

After a meeting earlier with the director, he apologised, saying it was a genuine oversight and not intentional, he has given me a 1.5k pay rise, rising more once I complete my manufacturer courses.

Happy with that personally. The words of further training etc did hit home, so I have also started looking at courses in motorsport engineering to get me where I would like to be for my long term career

Thanks again to all