Commenting on the latest jobless and earnings figures which again confirm that work in the UK is failing to pay, Len McCluskey, general secretary of Unite the union said: ‘Only the people of Greece have suffered a bigger fall in living standards during these miserable austerity years.

‘For too many workers in this country, work simply does not pay.

‘The government is directly to blame for a great deal of this hardship through its economic policies, failing to invest, imposing its year on year wage cut for millions of public sector workers, and for its cruel Universal Benefit taper which will trap even more families in in-work poverty.

‘Big business too must address the sort of economy and society it is helping to create. It has spent the austerity years hoarding billions in the banks or squandering on excessive boardroom pay.

‘We cannot have an economy that works for all when the spoils are grabbed by just a few.

‘The government must act to reverse this appalling and yawning inequality. We need collective bargaining restored to secure a fair rate for the job in sectors, like construction and hospitality. And we need action to bridge the wage gap between the shop floor and the boardroom.’

Source: UNITE