Issue date
Commenting on today’s (Monday) Living Wage Foundation figures which show that 22% of workers in Wales are earning under the real Living Wage, Wales TUC General Secretary Shavanah Taj said:

“People who work for a living ought to earn a decent living.

“Here in Wales, many of the workers getting us through this crisis – such as carers, supermarket staff and delivery drivers – earn less than the real Living Wage.

“It’s not right that so many of our workers struggle to pay their rent and bills and feed their families.

“The prime minister promised to ‘level up’ Britain. The UK Government must start by working with unions to ‘level up’ pay and conditions across the whole of the UK.

“Here in Wales, we are working hard to tackle low pay through our fair work agenda.

“Our social care forum, set up in social partnership with Welsh Government, is an example of our efforts to drive out low pay in the independent care sector.

“We are committed to making similar advances across all sectors in Wales.”

Editors note

Workforce paid below the Living Wage

(Source: The Living Wage Foundation, Employees paid below the Living Wage 2020)

 

Proportion below Living Wage April 2020 (%)

Proportion below Living Wage April 2019 (%)

2019-2020 change (%) 

Wales 

22.4%

22.5%

-0.1%

UK 

20.3%

20.0%

+0.3%

Wales TUC exists to make the working world a better place for everyone. We bring together more than 400,000 working people in Wales who make up our 48 member unions. We support unions to grow and thrive, and we stand up for everyone who works for a living.

Wales TUC press contacts:

E-mail: fdean@tuc.org.uk

Tel: 07770 384363