IN the North West today, nearly one third of all employees earn less than £4 an hour.
If voters in Lancashire put their cross in the wrong place, there will be little hope of them escaping from this poverty trap.
Rather than putting the economy at risk as those in government would have us believe, a minimum wage would relieve the burden on taxpayers and £2.4 million would be saved on benefits.
And despite what opponents say, academic research from France and the US has shown that the minimum wage has had no effect or adverse impact on jobs.
On the contrary, it may well be argued to have increased the number of jobs available.
STEVE LARGE, Secretary, East Lancs Amalgamated Branch, Communication Workers Union, Bank Parade, Burnley.
Converted for the new archive on 14 July 2000. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.
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