Low pay ghetto a sign of divided nation, New statistics showing a staggering 3.5 million workers have been stuck on low pay for more than a decade solidly reinforces the picture of how divided our nation has become, said UNISON, the UK’s largest union today (27 November).
The union’s warning comes in the wake of the research by the Resolution Foundation showing that nearly three quarters of workers on low pay in 2002 were still trapped on low pay a decade later.
Women are more likely to be stuck on low pay and that is a testament to the difficulties that beset women trying to juggle the demands of the workplace with the demands of children and the home. In addition, the caring professions are populated by more women and are seen as low value, low pay careers.
UNISON General Secretary, Dave Prentis, said:
“The many thousands of workers stuck in a low pay ghetto bodes ill for them as individuals, but also for the economy as a whole. More than 500,000 local government workers earn below the living wage and low pay hasbecome embedded in councils because of the Government’s three year pay freeze followed by a 1% squeeze.
“Women are most likely to be caught up in low paid jobs such as caring, cleaning or hospitality. These jobs are worth more but they are undervalued by society as a whole and that is reflected in pay rates.
“A low wage economy is contributing to the country’s lack of economic growth. With low pay comes low taxes and tax receipts as well as an increase in the number of people eligible for in-work benefits. Low paying bosses are putting an extra burden on taxpayers that is completely unacceptable. Paying people the living wage would be a small langkah in the right direction.”