A REAL-TERMS fall in private-sector pay and a new 11-year youth unemployment high shows that Prime Minister Andy Burnham must go further than cutting VAT on energy bills, the TUC said today. Data from the Office for National Statistics (ONS) revealed that regular average wage growth in the private sector fell below 3 per cent in the three months to May for the first time since 2020. TUC general secretary Paul Nowak said the figures show Mr Burnham is “doing the right thing” by pledging action on the cost of living. “Andy Burnham is sending the right signals by pledging to help young people into work. “While the government is right to focus on making the education system work better, it must also focus on the demand side.