DISAPPOINTING retail sales figures are evidence of 14 years of Tory attacks on workers’ wages, unions warned today.

The Office of National Statistics (ONS) showed that retail sales fell by 0.3 per cent in December, including during the run-up to Christmas and new year.

Analysts had expected sales to rise by 0.4 per cent following a 0.1 per cent increase in November.

The TUC insisted Labour must ensure its Make Work Pay agenda is implemented to counter the downward spiral.

Its research revealed that one in six workers are regularly skipping meals and that real wages grew by just 0.3 per cent a year under the Conservatives — compared with 1.5 per cent from 1997 to 2010.

The number of people in insecure work soared by one million between 2011 and 2023 to 4.1 million and the average worker would be £117 a week better off had pay increased since 2010 at the same pace as between 1997 and 2010, it also found.

The TUC said that pay growth during Conservative-led government from 2010-24 was worse than for any other period of government since the 1920s.

TUC general secretary Paul Nowak said: “People need to be able to spend on their local high streets, but years of stagnating living standards under the Conservatives have taken their toll.  

“One in six workers are regularly skipping meals to make ends meet.

“That’s not right and it’s why the government’s Make Work Pay agenda is so important.  

“More money in people’s pockets means more spend on our struggling high streets — that’s good for workers and good for local economies too.  

“It’s time to leave behind the broken model which saw insecure work and living standards decline.

“The Employment Rights Bill will deliver the economic reset working people desperately need.”

The ONS figures also showed that less money was spent on food in December.

Food store sales fell by 1.9 per cent to hit the lowest level since 2013.

Paddy Lillis, general secretary of retail workers’ union Usdaw, said: “The retail industry continues to face huge challenges.

“High numbers of job losses and store closures over the last decade are scarring our high streets and communities. 

“There are substantial issues that need to be addressed. We look forward to the government delivering the much-needed and long overdue help the retail industry needs.

“Action on business rates, tackling retail crime and a new deal for working people are at the top of our list of priorities.”