Call For Minimum Wage Increase

Workers in Leeds are now £50 pounds a week worse off. New figures released by the TUC show average wages fell by over 500 pounds last year. They're now calling for the minimum wage to be increased. Mum Heidi Thistlewood from Seacroft works more than 40 hours a week - but still struggles to make ends meet, "To say the hours I work, you don't expect to have to save for three months to carpet your living room, which I've just had to do. When my son wants things, I have to say you'll need to wait until next month to see what bills come in. "Sometimes my son's come home with two knees missing out of his trousers and a toe out of his shoe 'cos they've been playing rugby. And I've had to go and borrow money because I couldn't possibly send my son to school like that." Heidi tell us that salary does keep pace with cost, "Food, heating, your gas and electric they go up every year - but wages don't. Just to eat healthily, I think it's expensive, because you have to go out shopping daily for fresh veg and fresh salad, well it's just impossible - I don't drive." And she's supporting the TUC's call for an increase in the minimum wage, "It'd make me more comfortable. When my son does ask for a pair of shoes, I can say come on let's get some. Which yo'd think in this day and age, working full-time, you should be able to do that."

Bill Adams is the TUC's Regional Secretary, "Full time wages in the regional have fallen by over £2300 since 2010. We're holding a number of events aroudn the region to make people aware there is agreat gap between those doing very well at the top and for most of the other people who are towards the bottom of the pay market. "Lots of our members in the public sector, for example, have had actual real pay cuts. Many people in the private sector have had to take on less hour jobs, there've been very very few pay rises since 2010 right across the region." And our area seems to be especially badly hit according to Bill, "We're amongst the worst in terms of decreases in pay and how much people have lost in real terms since the financial crash. A lot of people are bumping along at the bottom with no particular rises in pay for the past 5 years, making it very difficult to pay the rent and feed themselves."