A report published this week by the umbrella body for 70 British unions said the exemption particularly discriminates against young female workers.
It quotes the example of a 16-year-old female hairdressing apprentice who worked five days a week for just 25 a week.
Figures gathered by the TUC show that engineering and construction apprentices earn an average of 150 a week.
Raj Jethwa, policy officer for the TUC, said: "In an Apprenticeship, you are learning a trade that gives you the pay and status accorded to you for the rest of your working life. From day one, women earn less than men." The TUC's report, A Manifesto for Young People, calls on the Low Pay Commission to investigate the problem.
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