Government to raise minimum wage for apprentices

BRIGHTON (Reuters) - The government said on Tuesday it would raise the minimum wage for apprentices in England to 95 pounds a week from 80 pounds starting from August 2009.

"The average net earnings of an apprentice each week is 170 pounds but the government wants to ensure that the earnings of all apprentices are fair," the Department for Innovation, Universities and Skills said in a statement.

The government said about 26,000 -- or 10 percent -- of Britain's apprentices will benefit from the increase.

Chancellor Alistair Darling and skills minister John Denham will address the annual Trades Union Congress in Brighton on Tuesday, with unions threatening a winter of strikes over public sector pay.

(Reporting by Matt Falloon)