Britain badly needs a pay rise, says TUC leader Frances O'Grady

British workers will be hit by a fall in real wages this year and in 2018, while pay in other countries will increase, a report predicts.

The TUC said real wages, taking into account inflation, were on course to fall by 0.5% in this country by the end of next year and increase by an average of 2.6% in other OECD countries.

Only Greece, Italy and Austria will fare worse than the UK for pay rises, according to OECD predictions.

TUC general secretary Frances O'Grady said: "British workers have endured the longest pay squeeze since Victorian times, and now even more pain is on the horizon.

"Britain badly needs a pay rise, and all the political parties must explain in their manifestos how they will boost living standards across the country.

"A good start would be to scrap the unfair pay restrictions on public servants.

"It is disgraceful in the world's sixth richest economy that nurses are having to use food banks to get by."