FIRMS who cut workers' lunch breaks to off-set the cost of the living wage should be named and shamed, Chancellor George Osborne has insisted.
Mr Osborne said the actions of some companies made him angry, but the law could not dictate what people have for lunch.
"It makes me angry. One of the things I'm proudest of in the years of doing this job is introducing the national living wage. It means a £900 pay rise for a low-paid person.
"We've got laws that make sure you've got to pay that per hour. We are tripling the budget of the enforcers who make sure the law is enforced and companies can be taken to court if they don't pay that living wage.
"But of course what you get is some companies cutting the lunch break, or cutting the free lunch they were provided.
"That may not be the letter of the law and we don't in this country prescribe what everyone eats for lunch, but it's not the spirit of the law.
"I think that companies these days should be much more careful about their reputation and much more aware of their social responsibility to their workforce as well as to their community.
"We've cut business taxes so that they can employ more people and pay better wages. That's why we've done it. I would say they are not following, these companies, and they are the exception not the rule, the vast majority of companies have enthusiastically welcomed the new national living wage, are paying it.
"Some companies are doing it. There are examples of companies that provided a free lunch and have cancelled it. I think they are being outed.
"That is all a way of shaming these companies. They are being shamed into doing the right thing.
"There are companies that have had a terrible time in the press and that's affected what they sell if they are interested in the bottom line - because they haven't behaved responsibly. Companies are no different from people in our society - we've got responsibilities and they should abide by them," Mr Osborne told ITV's The Agenda.
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