Several years after the Walmart controversy, Kathy Lee handbags were still being made in China by workers paid three cents an hour. The Corporation, 2003
These are some of the lowest paid workers in Britain. No-one earns more than £4 a week for up to 27 hours work … There are more than 50,000 men and women in Britain today who are being paid similar wages. They’re all either physically disabled, mentally handicapped, mentally ill or just old. World in Action: Working for a Pittance, ITV 1978
Britain’s day-centre and hospital workshops. ibid.
Companies across Britain are in the spotlight on pay. Now the government’s making large companies declare their gender pay gaps. But is your boss playing by the rules? Dispatches: The Truth About Your Pay, Channel 4 2018
A new industry has sprung up offering advice on the reporting legislation. ibid.
After leaving the EU and after 12 months into the pandemic Britain’s job market is changing. Far more of us are now hunting for jobs in the temporary low-pay gig economy. With so many shops closed delivery drivers have felt the pressure to ignore the law. And some say they have been forced to take humiliating drastic action … So is low pay and precarious the future of work in Britain? Dispatches: Low Pay Britain: About Your Job, Channel 4 2021
Every day Britain is discovering just how much more men are earning than women. Nearly fifty years after equal pay became the law, could this be the year that things finally change? Panorama: Britain’s Equal Pay Scandal, BBC 2018
‘People are struggling. Costs are going through the roof. And I’m not sure there’s any way of stopping it.’ Panorama: Surviving the Pay Squeeze, BBC 2023
Millions of Britons have effectively had a pay cut. Wages aren’t keeping up with costs. Public services are struggling too. ibid.
Why do so many people feel so poor? ibid.
Some of our problems are specific to the UK. ibid.
Did you know in the UK women get paid on average 14% less than men? … From women on the supermarket shop floor who are earning less than the men in the warehouse to the female stars of film and TV women are still fighting for equal pay. Why Do Men Earn More Than Women? Channel 5 2018
The worker is given a fake pay slip … We really work day and night in order to get the wage of less than $3 a day. Walmart: The High Cost of Low Price, book Bill Quinn, Chinese Walmart worker, 2005
Five families work low-wage jobs in 21st century America. At work and at home they look for the strength to keep going. Can these Americans, young and old, afford to dream? Meet the Working Class: Hard Earned, Youtube 47.17, Endevr films 2023
‘When you ask what would be my dream, I don’t have one … I have worked weekends for over thirty years.’ ibid.
‘$10.50 still can’t pay my bills. It’s overwhelming sometimes.’ ibid.
Emelia’s credit card debt is $16,000 which is just above the national household average of $15,000. ibid. caption
Only 39% of student loan borrowers are succeeding in paying down their balance. The remaining 61% are either in delinquency, deferment or forbearance. ibid.
‘So where’s the money coming from?’ ibid.
Student loan debt has surpassed credit card debt. ibid.
Last week my total income was less than $300. The Broken American Dream: Hard Earned, Youtube 47.22, Emilia, Endvr films
It was a huge blow when they came in our apartment and took all our stuff. ibid. DJ
In 2011, veterans aged 25-29 had a higher unemployment rate than non-veterans. ibid. caption
Americans aged 29-34 who obtained a first-time mortgage: 2000 = 17%; 2010 = 9%. ibid.
A family of four in Silicon Valley needs to earn for basic expenses = $100,948. ibid.
We’re going to have twins. So I got a second job. I’m working 85 to 90 hours a week. Surviving on Minimum Wage: Hard Earned, dude, Youtube 47.03, Endevr films
The more she [Emilia] slips into credit card debt, the more she risks losing her house. ibid.
‘The battle over the minimum wage heated up across the country today …’ ibid. television news
43% of low-wage workers who complained to their employer or tried to form a union reported illegal retaliation. ibid.
Percy and Beverly Evans see their retirement dreams fade after losing their middle class jobs. The Fading Dream of Retirement: Hard Earned, Youtube 47.20, Endevr films
In the last 20 years, the number of Americans age 65 and older in the workforce has more than doubled. ibid.
Median rent for Americans has increased over the past 10 years. ibid.
80% of low-wage workers do not get a single paid sick day. ibid.
I hate walking into the job because I know there’s something gonna be said, there’s something gonna be done. The Fight for Fair Pay: Hard Earned, Youtube 47.20, De’Juan, Endevr Films
De’Juan [DJ] Jackson has been hired full-time by the Workers’ Organising Committee of Chicago which is leading the local campaign for $15 an hour wages. ibid.
1 in 4 Americans rely on cheque-cashing, payday loans, pawn shops, pre-paid debit cards. Cheque-cashing fees cost a consumer 4-5% of each pay cheque. ibid.
Today he [DJ] delivers notices to inform employers of an upcoming strike. The Struggle Goes On: Hard Earned, Youtube 47.20, Endevr films
When Beth retires and starts to rely on social security, the couple’s income will fall way short of covering their bills at a time when their house is already in danger of foreclosure. ibid.