Middle income earners - the real middle Britain earning median incomes around £22,000 a year - have been doubly squeezed as: Their wages have fallen behind productivity. Since 1980 their wages have risen by 1.6 per cent a year, while productivity has been growing by 1.9 per cent a year. They have also been hit by growing inequality as the better off have grabbed a growing share of wages. From 1978-2008, real earnings at the 90th percentile doubled while real median earnings grew by 56 per cent and those at the 10th percentile by only 27 per cent. The report shows that some groups of workers, from fork-lift truck and bus drivers to bakers and low skilled factory workers, have enjoyed little rise in real earnings at all.
Middle income earners - the real middle Britain earning median incomes around £22,000 a year - have been doubly squeezed as:
But the rising tide lifts all ships... sigh.
When TUC releases such studies, are they routinely thematised by Labour backbenchers or someone from the opposition? Or is there just big silwence in Westminster? *Lunatic*, n. One whose delusions are out of fashion.
This kind of information is used in Wales but the Westminster lot live on another planet. TUC does use this type of research when invited to give evidence to Westminster committees but it is only taken on board if it fits with the direction the Government wants to go in anyway.
I've been involved for the last 18 months in compiling huge amounts of evidence and case studies that demonstrate the benefit of workplace equality reps and making the case for them to have statutory rights to training and time off to do the job. On the back of that the TUC have tried to get Govt support to take forward an amendment to the Equality Bill to give reps those rights and have been told that they won't take the amendment forward. Ad astra per aspera
TUC does use this type of research when invited to give evidence to Westminster committees but it is only taken on board if it fits with the direction the Government wants to go in anyway.
If a committee or Government leads are already focused on moving policy in a particular direction they will give emphasis to evidence and conclusions that support their view. That isn't breaking news. Ad astra per aspera
