Abstract
This paper analyses the minimum wage as an instrument to provide dignity at work. The major question is whether the minimum wage alone is sufficient to provide dignity at work and decent standards of living. The paper considers UN legal regulations, and ILO standards, including the Minimum Wage Fixing Convention No. 131, as well as the European Social Charter and the EU draft directive on adequate minimum wages. The paper examines the legal nature of the minimum wage, the criteria for fixing national minimum wages and whether this form of remuneration should be supplemented by social security benefits.