LONDON: The United Kingdom's Trades Union Congress (TUC) has called for action from the government to set about increasing the minimum wage to 15 pounds (USD 17.7) an hour "as soon as possible".

It occurs in the midst of a summer marked by substantial labour unrest as leading unions have voiced their displeasure with real pay decreases in the face of rising inflation, according to reports. The Office for National Statistics (ONS) disclosed last week that over the three months leading up to June, workers' pay fell record-high behind inflation.

Regular pay, excluding bonuses, rose by 4.7% over the course of the quarter, but it was unable to keep up with the raging inflation rate, which peaked at 9.4% in June and then surged to a new 40-year high last month. The largest port in the UK, Felixstowe, has already had a strike this week.

Due to strikes by Communication Workers Union (CWU)-affiliated Royal Mail employees and Daily Mirror journalists on Friday, postal deliveries are also expected to be delayed. With lower rates for younger workers, the current minimum wage for those over the age of 23 is 9.50 pounds. To assist increase worker wages, the TUC has urged the government to present a "strategy to deepen and extend collective bargaining across the economy." Reforms to corporate governance and a "life-long learning and skills strategy" to address the labour shortage are also included in the proposals.

TUC general secretary Frances O'Grady said: "Every employee ought to be able to support a respectable quality of living. However, millions of low-paid workers struggle to make ends meet and now face bankruptcy as a result of skyrocketing prices and eye-watering expenses.

"We cannot keep shifting from one crisis to another. For working families to have long-term financial security, the damaging trend of stagnant wages must be reversed. Fair pay agreements should be introduced by ministers to increase compensation and productivity in low-paying sectors.

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