More than half of men who work part time in Wythenshawe are not earning a living wage according to figures released by the TUC today.

The figures, revealed to mark the 15th anniversary of the introduction of the minimum wage, show 58 per cent of male part time workers and 45 per cent of women earn less than £7.65 in the area.

And just over one in five of all workers employed in full and part time jobs in Wythenshawe earn less than the living  wage.

The Trades Union Congress is highlighting the issue of low pay and falling living standards as part of its Fair Pay Fortnight which runs till Sunday April 6.

Across the UK, around five million people get paid less than the living wage but at the other end of the income scale, in some parts of the country – mostly in the South East – as few as five per cent of workers are paid under the living wage.

TUC General Secretary Frances O’Grady said: “Extending the living wage is a vital way of tackling the growing problem of in-work poverty across Britain.

“Working families are experiencing the biggest pressure on their living standards since Victorian times. Pay has been squeezed at all levels below the boardroom and it’s costing our economy dear.

“The number of living wage employers is growing rapidly and unions are playing their part in encouraging more employers to sign up and pay it – but government must show equal initiative. We need to see a far greater commitment to pay the living wage from government and employers, and modern wages councils which could set higher minimum rates in industries where employers can afford to pay their staff more.

“During Fair Pay Fortnight we’re asking workers to back our call to MPs to get all political parties to put decent pay at the top of their agendas in the run up to the election.”