Trade unions are calling on ministers to introduce a new minimum wage for apprentices, who can be paid as little as £1.50 ($2.91) an hour under the existing rules.

The call will be resisted by business leaders as an additional burden on companies at a time when many cannot afford to increase their payrolls. But the Trades Union Congress on Thursday said it was unfair that 70 per cent of apprentices were not covered by the minimum wage.