Tens of thousands of people are expected to take part in a protest march today calling for the Government to do more to help with the cost-of-living crisis.

Trade union leaders, frontline workers and community organisations will be among those at the demonstration in London, demanding a “better deal” for workers struggling to cope.

The TUC, which is organising the event, said workers were suffering the “longest and harshest” squeeze on their earnings in modern history.

Its research suggested that workers have lost almost £20,000 since 2008 because pay has not kept pace with inflation.

The TUC said it was the biggest “real wage” loss since the 1830, adding that the pay “slump” showed little sign of slowing.

Bournemouth Echo: Frances O'Grady criticised the Government for not doing enough (PA)Frances O'Grady criticised the Government for not doing enough (PA)

General secretary Frances O’Grady said it was “gut-wrenching” to hear how workers were struggling, with no safety net to fall back on.

She told the PA news agency that the Conservatives were now the “party of pay cuts”, accusing the Government of turning its back on those who made such “extraordinary sacrifices” by keeping working during the virus crisis.

O'Grady added: “Prices are sky-rocketing, yet boardroom bonuses are back to bumper levels. Everyone who works for a living deserves to earn a decent living, but UK workers are suffering the longest and harshest squeeze on their earnings in modern history.

“If we don’t get pay rising across the economy, we will just keep lurching from crisis to crisis.

“This cost-of-living emergency has not come out of the blue. It is the result of more than a decade of standstill wages.”

Ms O’Grady accused the Prime Minister of “cynically abandoning” his commitment to a high-wage economy.

Royal College of Nursing general secretary Pat Cullen said: “Ministers’ failure to give nursing fair pay – including more than a decade of real-terms pay cuts – is having a devastating impact on their own wellbeing and the safety of care for their patients.

“The cost-of-living crisis has brought this to a head, with too many nursing staff struggling to feed their families or put fuel in their cars.”

Unite leader Sharon Graham said: “Wage restraint? How about calling on the UK’s millionaire bosses to show restraint. In the last year of the pandemic, the UK’s top CEO’s hiked their own wages by an average 29% to £2.6 million.

“Don’t hear anyone in the media saying they’re holding the country to ransom.”