The Association of Teachers and Lecturers has reported that it has won a victory over flouting of the national minimum wage by Malvern College. In an out of court settlement the school agreed to pay Barbara White, a resident assistant house mistress, £12,000 because her salary was lower than the national minimum wage.  As resident assistant to the house mistress at the boarding school – where fees for boarders are over £25,000 a year – Barbara White was contracted to work 121.5 hours a week for £15,138 a year plus accommodation. When her contract started in September 2004 her hourly rate of pay was £3.75, while the national minimum wage was £4.50 an hour.

Martin Pilkington, ATL’s head of legal and member services, said: ‘There can be no excuse for this type of exploitation. The irony is just incredible – a school with pupils from some of the wealthiest families in the UK paying its own staff less than the minimum wage. We are obviously delighted by this victory.’

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