July 10 was a strike and demonstration day for a 10 trade unions to draw attention to really worsening pay and conditions in the public sector.

Many workers represented were some of the lowest paid. Union officials regularly draw attention to this, but they do more. Many I have met have just as much interest in pay and conditions in the private sector.

This year UNISON demonstrated in Bolton about poor pay of care workers in private sector companies.

I’ve met many union officials whose “drive” is about the widening inequality in this country and the unfairness of the cost of living for those on low pay.

Remember what the Greater Manchester Chamber of Commerce stated in April: “The national minimum wage has fallen further behind inflation since 2008. We expect the coming pay rounds to begin to deliver real terms increases for employees.”

Unfortunately, the Conservative-led government is not allowing the pay increases that workers deserve. Bolton has 20 per cent of its working population earning less than the living wage of £7.65 an hour.

Compared to the South, a lot of people in Bolton and the North work in the public sector and, whatever your politics, you should never forget that this government is cutting the public sector in the North massively disproportionately to the South.

The Equality Trust report, “The Coalition government and Inequality: the half term report”, shows pay awards for top bosses are still rising by 10 per cent a year and the top 100 companies chief executives’ pay is around £4.8 million a year, which is 185 times more than the average wage.

The Conservative-led government is mainly saying that shareholders should bring about changes to large salaries, but this is very flawed.

Most shareholders have wealth and know that high pay at the top means there are grades that will be high paid below them that they can occupy.

This is how the high pay system and the widening inequality has been growing. It is more surprising that there is not more anger in the country than was demonstrated on July 10.

Susan Haworth Tonge Moor