UNISON General Secretary Dave Prentis will today argue for a £6.50 minimum wage target at the TUC general council meeting. UNISON is lobbying for the increased figure to be adopted by the TUC to help tackle the gender pay gap. The call comes following the latest new earnings survey from Income Data Services (IDS), which shows the gender gap is wider than previously thought.
Dave Prentis said:
ÒWe have to tackle the serious problem of low pay and in particularly the need to close the gender pay gap. It is a disgrace that the latest figures from IDS show that the pay gap is worse than previously thought and now stands at 19.5%.
ÒThe solution is in the GovernmentÕs hands – raising the minimum wage to £6.50 an hour would close the gap by 4% at a stroke. I will be lobbying hard at todayÕs meeting for UNISONÕs £6.50 target to be adopted by the TUC. We must close the gender pay gap and free low paid workers from in-work benefits.Ó
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