Unfair Wages Could See a Return to Victorian Times

19 May 2012

With all the glamorous TV period dramas that have been screened in recent years, from Upstairs Downstairs to Downton Abbey, we can easily forget that life wasn't always perfect for those living in the past.

The Victorian period was a particularly difficult era, with rapidly growing populations our cities quickly became overcrowded, increasing the demand placed on housing and employment.

It is often believed that the social class structure became more obvious during this time - when 40 per cent of the nation's wealth was owned by just five per cent of the population. As the wealthy prospered those at the other end of the scale were often unemployed, homeless and struggling to make ends meet.

Whilst in the 20th and 21st Centuries we have made huge advances, improvements in cleanliness being one, the lack of job security and the wage inequality between top earners and the rest of the working population is still evident in today's society. The Guardian has even called for executive pay to be curbed to make Britain a fairer place to live as it warned last week that wage disparity could soon return to the levels of the Victorian era.

At present the average salary for a FSTE 100 chief executive is more than £3million whereas the average full-time wage is significantly lower at around £25,000 - and as top earners' wages are set to increase further, those at the lower end of the scale face the prospect of their salaries declining as many smaller businesses are forced to tighten their belts.

Combine this wage inequality with the increasing levels of unemployment and it isn't hard to see why people are having financial difficulties, and Northumberland residents are certainly no exception.

Currently, many Northumbrians are concerned about job security especially as the public sector continues to make further cutbacks. Add to this the strains associated with the increasing cost of housing, fuel and household essentials and the county's residents are facing a notable decline in the level of disposable incomes.

All these elements can place huge pressure on families as they attempt to balance their day-to-day finances and still run happy homes, often people will try to overcome financial worries by using credit cards or credit services offered by debt solving organisations.

Whilst these services can offer a short-term solution they can also lead to further problems and if not managed correctly can quickly spiral out of control reducing disposable incomes even more. Anyone concerned about their finances or who is facing debt problems should seek help as soon as possible to prevent issues from escalating further.  

Northumberland residents can access free face-to-face support from the Citizens Advice drop-in service at Morpeth's Tower Buildings, for opening times or for free telephone advice contact the Northumberland advice line on 0844 4111 309.