UK workers saw a yearly wage rise of just 0.1%, the lowest increase since records began, according to the latest figures by the Office of National Statistics (ONS).
The UK living wage has been raised 20p to £7.85 across the UK, and from £8.80 to £9.15 per hour in London.
The national minimum wage is set to rise 19p to £6.50 per hour across the UK from October, the first time since the financial collapse in 2008 that the rate has risen by more than inflation.
Labour MP Alex Cunningham has defended his plan to pay an apprentice £125 for a 35-hour week, after he came under fierce criticism for paying less than the minimum wage for the training role.
Chancellor George Osborne has said that he supports a rise in the minimum wage to £7 per hour as proposed by the Low Pay Commission.