[Thread] When the minimum wage was introduced by a @UKLabour Government in April 1999, it was seen as a major achievement. Trade unions had campaigned for it, as a basic minimum for all workers. Unfortunately, in many sectors, it became a ceiling, not a floor. (1/9)
Over time, the minimum wage has not kept pace with the rising cost of housing, heating & food. Recent research by @jrf_uk shows that two thirds of children & working age adults in poverty belong to working households. More workers are dropping below the poverty line weekly (2/9)
.@LivingWageUK have, over the years, worked out a model for a ‘real’ living wage, currently set at £8.75 across the UK & £10.20 in London. The number of jobs that pay below that wage has now hit 6.3 million, marking an increase of more than 300,000 on last year. (3/9)
The ‘Living Wage’ factors in things like inflation, to give a real idea of what people need to live on. New official numbers released today show that there are now 2.9 million full time jobs & 3.37 million part-time roles that pay workers less than the real Living Wage. (4/9)
The data also shows that women are hit disproportionately by the failure of the minimum wage to keep pace with price rises & that many are trapped in low pay. Currently 3.7 million or 28% of all female employees are paid below the recommended Living Wage. (5/9)
The last 8 years under the Tories has seen public sector pay freezes & a real term reduction in pay on average, across the board. Austerity has hit many, but the workers who are really feeling it are those on the minimum wage, in zero hours, part-time & insecure jobs. (6/9) 
.@johnmcdonnellMP gets it: "This is further evidence that the Tories are creating a deeply unfair economy, one based on exploiting low-wage workers who are trapped in insecure employment." mirror.co.uk/money/more-6-m… (7/9)
And @UKLabour have committed to bringing in a £10 living wage across the board, benefitting more than 5.2 million female workers. The new Living Wage would include any worker above the age of 18, meaning that three out of four young workers aged 18 to 20 would benefit. (8/9)
The knock on positive effect on the economy would be enormous (@unitetheunion estimate £5.6 billion a year), but most importantly, it would allow people to breathe again, after years of stress, illness & poverty caused by this punishing squeeze on pay. #ChangeIsComing. (9/9)
