Pay in the North East

That this House notes the Trades Union Congress (TUC) analysis which shows that the North East still has the lowest average weekly earnings of any region in the UK; notes the analysis reveals workers in the North East region earn 7% less, on average, than the UK median wage; further notes that, in some parts of the North East this pay gap is even wider; agrees that the findings show the devastating impact that years of wage stagnation have had on workers in the North East; further agrees with the statement that workers are facing a real pay emergency with real wages worth less in the North East than they were in 2010; and welcomes the TUC's call to tax wealth and the wealthy, not workers.