UNISON has today responded to an ONS report that suggests employees were 62% better off in real terms in 2011 than they were in 1986 – a revelation the union said would come as a surprise to the majority struggling to get by.
UNISON general secretary Dave Prentis said: “High inflation, rising prices and stagnant wages are keeping many families in financial misery, so the findings of this report may come as a surprise for those in the majority who are struggling as a result of an economic disaster caused by the few.
“The very real impact the introduction of the minimum wage has had for those workers on low incomes is clear to see, but as the report demonstrates, there is still gross inequality in our society that must be confronted.
“Employers could take a step in the right direction by paying the living wage – a salary on which their employees can live, and not just exist. Too many people in our society live in poverty, and it’s time for the Government, and employers, to show a real commitment to fighting it.”
ENDS