Earnings have fallen and charges are increasing - so what can government do to help people being crippled by the cost of living?
That's the question being asked by Douglas West MHK Chris Thomas after a recent survey shows manual workers' income has dipped by six per cent.
Median earnings have kept pace but the divide is widening - with figures showing distinct differences between the private and public sectors.
Mr Thomas says female workers are also experiencing a drop and something must be done to prevent it:
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