THE Living Wage Foundation has announced a new hourly rate increase of 40p an hour to £ 8.25 from £ 7.85 which will benefit over 70,000 workers and makes a mockery of the Tory Chancellor's so called National Minimum Wage of just £ 7.20 per hour.

The living wage is calculated by independent experts and is adopted by employers voluntarily and is the sum needed for a decent standard of living.

Despite this great announcement a staggering six million people are still not paid a living wage and rely on just the basic minimum wage legally set which keeps them in low poverty pay and struggling to pay their food and bills.

Many employers have deliberately kept wages clinging to the lowest legal limits for far too long, making millions of pounds in profits and surely it is time now that businesses paid their staff a wage that reflects the real cost of living.

I have worked in retail for nearly 10 years and seen many people struggling to make ends meet because of low pay. I am delighted to learn that the facilities company I work for has recently signed up to be accredited as a Living Wage employer, the first facilities group in retail in the UK to do so.

I applaud the management and senior board for working to achieve this.

Research by the professional services firm KPMG showed part-time workers are three times more likely to be paid below the living wage and women worst hit with 29% earning less compared with 18% of men.

Employers who have registered with the Living Wage have now shown to be good, caring and responsible employers and we must applaud them. Living Wage employers and employees gain on all sides — a living wage will certainly boost staff morale, create better standards of productivity and a much friendlier working environment, less stress and sick leave, work will feel worthwhile and not just a weary drudge.

More taxes paid for our hospitals and schools and more money to spend to boost our economy.

A Living Wage will be good for many people who live in Astley Bridge and the whole of our town who currently struggle on low poverty pay.

If Britain really is the sixth richest nation in the world and it wants to compete with Europe and the rest of the world's economies it needs to pay a decent wage to its millions of workers — a living wage!

Kevin Morris

Astley Bridge Labour Party