national minimum wage inquiry

Good Day! We are Filipino seafarers working offshore vessel and we would like to send a query regarding the Uk Minimum Wage. We have an ongoing project of windmill installation with a distance of 195km (105nautical miles) of the Uk's North East Coast. As we understood from the Uk regulation; that any seafarers working offshore in the territorial waters of the uk or in the uk sector of the continental shelf needs to be paid national minimum wage. Therefore we would like to know if we are also entitled to the Uk minimum wage even if we are not residing in the UK.

Hi ,

National Minimum Wage covers workers who work or ordinarily work:

• in the territorial waters of the UK
• in the United Kingdom sector of the continental shelf in connection with the exploration of the sea bed or its subsoil, or exploiting natural resources
• exploiting natural resources in a foreign sector of the continental shelf of a cross-boundary petroleum field

This applies regardless of whether the worker is a UK national or resident.

For more information about the eligibility for the minimum wage please see the following: https://www.gov.uk/guidance/calculating-the-minimum-wage/eligibility-for-the-minimum-wage#offshore-workers

If you are concerned that you are not being paid what you are entitled to, you can contact the Advisory, Conciliation and Arbitration Service (Acas) on 0300 123 1100 or you can raise a complaint to HMRC using the following online form: National Minimum Wage enquiries and complaints .

Thank you .

Hi When the NMW rose in April 2024, my company started deducting my Pension contributions from my Net Wage. Prior to the NMW going up they deducted my pension contributions from my Gross wage. I now don't receive any Tax relief on my pension payments and my Tax has risen as a result. My Pension is a Scottish Widows Master Trust schem and the Payments are supposed to come out of my Gross pay so i receive maximum tax relief. When i contacted my Payroll the told me that it had changed because of they continued to take them from my Gross pay it would look as if i was getting payed less than the minimum wage.. This is an auto enrolment scheme and i don't contribute any more than i have to .. I now feel that i am being penalised because i am on a low wage.. I have contacted the Pension regulator who seems to think that my company is misinterpreting the regulations.. Could anyone help...

Hi Richard,
Please contact the National Minimum wage helpline on 0300 123 1100 open 8am to 6pm Monday to Friday.
 The National Minimum Wage and Living Wage.
Thank you.