WiredGov Newswire (news from other organisations)
![]() |
Retail figures underline importance of the Government’s Make Work Pay agenda – TUC
Commenting on figures published today (Friday) which show retail sales falling by 0.3 per cent in December 2024, TUC General Secretary Paul Nowak said:
“People need to be able to spend on their local high streets, but years of stagnating living standards under the Conservatives have taken their toll.
“One in six workers are regularly skipping meals to make ends meet. That’s not right and it’s why the government’s Make Work Pay agenda is so important.
“More money in people’s pockets means more spend on our struggling high streets - that’s good for workers and good for local economies too.
“It’s time to leave behind the broken model which saw insecure work explode and living standards decline. The Employment Rights Bill will deliver the economic reset working people desperately need.”
Editors note’s
- 1 in 6 workers are regularly skipping meals, according to recent TUC polling https://www.tuc.org.uk/news/tuc-poll-1-6-workers-have-skipped-meal-regularly-past-three-months-make-ends-meet
- Under the Conservative real wages grew by just 0.3% a year - compared to 1.5% from 1997 to 2010.
- At the same time, the number of people in insecure work soared by 1 million between 2011 and 2023 to 4.1 million.
- The TUC estimates that the average worker would be £117 a week better off had pay increased since 2010 at the same pace as between 1997 and 2010
- Pay growth during Conservative-led government from 2010-2024 was worse than for any other period of government since the 1920s.
- About the TUC: The Trades Union Congress (TUC) exists to make the working world a better place for everyone. We bring together the 5.5 million working people 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.
Contacts:
TUC press office
media@tuc.org.uk
020 7467 1248