THE CONVERSATION: Wage Councils could address endemic pay inequality in the UK economy

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The UK has an endemic low-pay culture. A new report backed by business leaders and the Archbishop of Canterbury says Britain’s economic model is “broken” and produces widespread inequality. Around 8m people in poverty now live in working households. Many workers are trapped in low-skilled, precarious jobs, with poor wages and working conditions.

“Precarious work” has expanded to include zero-hour contract staff, agency and gig economy workers with uncertain hours, volatile earnings and job insecurity. But workers with permanent jobs also struggle to make ends meet as living costs bite.

The UK desperately needs a more robust system to lift standards and protect low earners and those who may feel marginalised and whose rights are virtually non-existent. This is where Wage Councils could come in.