how much according to the law should i earn?

[pinkbunnies]

i am a trainee hairdresser and i have been training for a year through inter services training (its). i am twenty years old and believe i should be earning minimum wage but i am still not even tho i have been working in the same place since i was 17. what shoud i be earning?

[ChuffingHell]

Are you employed? Eg, do you have a contract of employment? If so, and you have been on your apprenticeship for over a year, you qualify for NMW (�4.45ph).

If you are on a traineeship and have a training agreement rather than a contract which states you have "non-employed status", you may receive a training allowance rather than a wage, which is not dictated by national minimum wage limits.

However, with all that said, whether you have a training agreement or not is less important than actually analysing what you do for that hairdresser and whether that constitutes as working (for which you should be paid) rather than training (which you wouldn't be under the training agreement). Have a read of this for more information; http://www.dti.gov.uk/files/file11765.pdf