TUC calls for £15 an hour minimum wage

The TUC (Trades Union Congress) has launched a campaign to see the minimum wage rise to £15 an hour "as soon as possible", helping those struggling with the growing cost of living crisis.

It comes amid of a summer of industrial action as leading unions have raised frustrations over declines in real pay as inflation soars.

Last week, the Office for National Statistics (ONS) revealed that workers saw their pay lag behind inflation at a record rate over the three months to June. The current minimum wage for workers aged 23 and over is £9.50, with lower rates for younger employees.

Regular pay increased by 4.7% over the quarter but failed to keep up with rampant inflation, which struck 9.4% in June and accelerated to a 40-year high.

Port workers at Felixstowe have already been on strike this week. Postal deliveries are also set to be disrupted due to strikes by Royal Mail workers.

The TUC has said the Government must deliver a “plan to strengthen and extend collective bargaining across the economy” to help boost pay for workers.

Frances O’Grady, General Secretary of the TUC, said: “Every worker should be able to afford a decent standard of living. But millions of low-paid workers live wage packet to wage packet, struggling to get by - and they are now being pushed to the brink by eye-watering bills and soaring prices.

“We can’t keep lurching from crisis to crisis. Working families need long-term financial security – that means reversing the destructive trend of standstill wages. Ministers should introduce fair pay agreements to get pay and productivity rising in low-paid sectors.”

Proposals also include corporate governance reforms and a “life-long learning and skills strategy” designed to address labour shortages.