BURY has been ranked 15th in a north west low pay league, with workers earning nearly £80 per week below the national average.

A study by the GMB union into the average gross weekly earnings for full-time workers showed employees in the borough earn a gross amount of £428.60 a week, compared to the average wage nationally of £504.90 a week.

Bury also falls short of the average gross weekly earnings for the north west by more than £40. The regional average stands at £469.50.

Trafford, Manchester and Cheshire are the only areas in the region where the average gross weekly earnings for full-time workers exceed the national average.

Bury is two-thirds down the low pay league of 21 authorities; Tameside occupies bottom spot with a figure of £396.10.

The figures have been collated from a new analysis of the latest annual survey of hours and earnings 2004 from the Office of National Statistics by GMB London Region.

Justin Bowden, GMB senior organiser in public services, said: "This survey shows that only those areas with large scale manufacturing and/or professional services sectors are above the national average.

"The pay of those involved in the urban services that keep our country working, the cleaners, the retail and leisure sector workers and most of the schools, hospitals, transport and public services staff and all the others, hover between the national minimum wage (£192) and the national average of £504.90 per week."