since the days of Tony Blair and New Labour.

繼東尼·布萊爾和新工黨期之後。

So, what is it and why does it matter?

那麼，它是什麼、為什麼重要？

Here are the three things you need to know.

以下是你應該知道的三件事。

First, it means Britain's lowest-paid workers will receive big pay rises⏤not just this year, but every year between now and 2020.

首先，這意味著英國最低工資勞工的薪水會大幅上升，且不僅是今年，而是從現在到 2020 年間的每一年。

The national living wage is really just a new minimum wage rate that applies to everyone aged 25 and over.

國民生活工資其實就是針對所有 25 歲以上人民的新最低工資。

But, it'll be higher than the current minimum wage and it will go up more quickly.

但是它會比目前的最低工資高，並且會更快地增加。

The government plans to start at £7.20 an hour on April 1, then push it up faster than average pay so that by 2020, it will be worth 60% of median earnings.

政府預計 4 月 1 日起從時薪 7.2 英鎊開始，接著再以比平均工資漲幅還要快的速度提升，確保到了 2020 年，會值收入中位數的 60%。

That's about £9 an hour.

那大約是每小時 9 英鎊。

By that point, a lot more people will find themselves on the minimum wage.

到了那個時候，會有更多人發現自己領著最低工資。

Between 2015 and 2020, the number of workers aged 25 and over who are on the minimum wage will treble from 1 million to 3.3 million.

2015 年到 2020 年間，領取最低工資的 25 歲以上勞工數會成長從 1 百萬人翻倍上升到 3 百 30 萬人。

The second thing you need to know is that Britain is not alone.

其次，你必須知道英國並不是唯一這麼做的。

Countries all over the world are either introducing minimum wages or pushing them up, in an attempt to do something about stagnating living standards.

世界各國不是開始實行最低工資就是在提高最低工資，目前在於讓停滯的生活水準提升。

Germany introduced its first-ever minimum wage last year.

德國去年首度施行最低工資政策。

Meanwhile, some US cities like Seattle are increasing their minimums to $15 an hour.

同時，美國如西雅圖等許多城市也將最低工資提升到每小時 15 美元。

So, how does Britain compare?

那英國相比如何呢？

At the minute, our minimum wage is in the middle of the pack.

目前，我們的最低工資落在中間位置。

It's not the lowest by any means, but it's nowhere near as high as places like France and Australia.

它絕對不是最低，但卻也沒有跟法國或澳洲等地一樣高。

The national living wage will change that picture.

國民生活工資會改變這一切。

By 2020, the UK will have one of the highest minimum wages in the developed world.

到了 2020 年，英國的最低工資會是已開發國家中，數一數二高的。

The third thing to know is that no one is entirely sure how this national living wage will actually work out.

第三，其實沒有人知道國民生活工資計畫是否會成功。

It all depends on how employers react to the fact they have to pay people more.

它都取決於雇主對於必須支付更高薪這件事的態度。

They could just accept that they're going to make less profit, or they could put up their prices.

他們可能會接受利潤降低的事實，或是提高商品價格。

Alternatively, they could give workers more training and time-saving technology so that they're more productive.

另一方面，他們也可能給予勞工更多訓練或是省時科技工具來幫助他們提升工作效率。

That would make the higher pay more affordable.

那樣會讓較高的薪資變得較能夠負擔。

The worst thing would be if they just make do with fewer workers because they can't afford to keep employing all of them.

最糟的情況是，雇主可能將就地雇用較少的員工，因為他們負擔不起繼續聘任所有人。

That could lead to higher unemployment.

那可能會導致更高的失業率。

So far, Britain's experience with the minimum wage, which is first introduced in 1998, has been good.

英國自 1998 年開始實施最低工資到目前為止都是成功的。

It's increased pay a lot for people at the bottom of the ladder without causing any job losses.

它在不引起任何失業的狀況下，為在社會底層的人提高了不少收入。

But both optimists and pessimists agree that the national living wage is a step into the unknown.

不過樂觀、悲觀主義者都認同，國民生活工資都是邁向未知的一步。

Sarah O'Connor, "The Financial Times", London.

《金融時報》Sarah O'Connor 倫敦報導。