Lord Christopher
Main Page: Lord Christopher (Labour - Life peer)Department Debates - View all Lord Christopher's debates with the Department for Work and Pensions
(8 years, 6 months ago)
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Baroness Altmann
I think the issues for the steel industry go wider than that; there are macroeconomic factors as well.
Lord Christopher (Lab)
My Lords, I listened carefully to the figures that the noble Baroness gave. Of course, they sound very creditable. However, can she comment on the fact that six million—about 23% of the workforce—are below the current acknowledged living wage?
Baroness Altmann
When Labour was in power, it did not increase the national minimum wage to the national living wage, and pay is increasing rapidly. There has been a 3% increase in average earnings, the fastest rate for many years.