SIR: When Winston Churchill introduced the principle of state regulation against low pay through the Wages Councils in 1909, presumably he felt that there was a basic unfairness and inequality in society to justify state intervention.

The removal of the Wages Councils has inevitably reduced the levels of pay. It should also be noted that there is a lower number of jobs in the industries formerly covered by the Wages Councils.

After 17 years of continuous Tory rule, there is the largest inequality and distribution of wealth since records began. Twenty per cent of UK families live below the established poverty line, affecting 36 per cent of children.

The Sunday Times revealed earlier this year, that the combined wealth of the top 500 British tycoons amounted to £70,587 million. That bonanza shared among the 57 million British people would amount to £1,238 each.

The arguments for the introduction of a National Minimum Wage are overwhelming and irrefutable. The UK is the glaring exception in the European Union as having no legal protection against poverty pay.

The North West CBI, in a recent circular described the National Minimum Wage as a 'blunt and inefficient mechanism for dealing with poverty'. Perhaps they may wish to comment on the:

Wages Councils

Poll Tax

Job Seekers' Allowance

And their effectiveness in creating or alleviating poverty.

Cllr Don Rishton.

Chairman of Lancashire South European Constituency Labour Party, Livesey Branch Road,

Blackburn.

Converted for the new archive on 14 July 2000. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.