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The Case for the Living Wage

The Case for the Living Wage. South London Fawcett Society 26 October 2009. What is the Living Wage?. The real minimum rate of pay that enables a worker to provide a decent standard of living for themselves and their family

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The Case for the Living Wage

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  1. The Case for theLiving Wage South London Fawcett Society 26 October 2009

  2. What is the Living Wage? • The real minimum rate of pay that enables a worker to provide a decent standard of living for themselves and their family • In 2008, nearly 5 million employees in the UK paid less than £7 per hour.  Two-thirds were women.

  3. Low pay and economic downturn Over the past 10 years… • Incomes of the poorest tenth have fallen in real terms.  • The profit share of GDP has risen, as the labour share has fallen. • Living costs have risen by 300% while incomes of the poorest 10% have risen by only 53%.

  4. The poor pay more • The real rate of inflation is much higher for lower income families   • Basic necessities -- energy, food and transport rose rapidly in 2007/8 • Effective inflation rate on the goods and services used by low paid workers nearer 10%

  5. Debt fills the gap • In 2008 UK households owed over £1.2 trillion on mortgages and £230 billion on credit cards and unsecured loans. • 45% of UNISON’s school caretakers are in debt with 34%, owing £10,000 or more; 30% of social workers owe £10,000 or more

  6. How much is needed ?

  7. Who pays for low pay?

  8. Exported Costs • Low pay affects: education, health, criminal justice system, social services, benefit system state of civil society • Nearly half of the 3 million children living below the poverty line live in households where at least one person is in paid employment. • Tax credits cost the taxpayer £20 billion in 2007/8.

  9. Exported Costs • Low pay linked to other workplace problems; poor training, limited career paths; high turnover, difficulties in recruitment; and a lack of bargaining power • Some examples: zero hours contracts; piece rates, charges for transport and uniforms, bullying and harassment, intimidation of migrant workers

  10. The Living Wage campaignfirst stage: research • In 2001 UNISON started working with Telco – launched living wage campaign • Family Budget Unit researched the LCA for London -- 6.20 ‘living wage’ target • Looked at gap between earnings and living wage – Mapping Low Pay in East London • Research into ‘exported costs’ -- used to build coalition

  11. The Living Wage campaignsecond stage: action • 2002 claim submitted for 5 UNISON health branches to improve pay for contract cleaners • Negotiations and strike led to commitment to harmonise pay with AfC by April 2006 • Meanwhile action at Canary Wharf led to deals with Barclays and HSBC

  12. Third stage: mobilising the community • Listening campaign in the run up to the mayoral election in May 2004 • Livingstone agreed to set up living wage unit. Boris Johnson has continued it. • First report March 2005: A Fairer London sets London Living wage at £6.70 with full benefit take up – now £7.60

  13. Living wage has been won for 6,000 workers • 1,000 East London hospital staff now on full NHS pay and conditions • 3,000 contract cleaners at Canary Wharf and in the City of London • 400 contract cleaning staff at Queen Mary and the London School of Economics, SOAS, Birkbeck • 1,000 support staff working for Barclays Bank • 100’s of workers contracted to the GLA family, including Transport for London; Met Police • third sector contract staff in organisations like Child Poverty Action Group and the IPPR. • More in retail, local authorities and the Olympics

  14. Spreading the campaign • New MIS used to set out-of-London living wage • Glasgow, Oxford, Preston and several London Boroughs implemented LW, Norwich implementing it as part of anti-poverty strategy • Living wage built into local planning (Westfield) and the Olympics. Commonwealth games to come.

  15. Since becoming a living wage employer turnover of cleaning staff at KPMG is down by 50%. Better employment conditions lead to a better motivated workforce. "I used to wake up in the night and feel sick thinking about work", said one cleaner. Now that pay has improved "I feel proud to work in the hospital". Living Wage can improve service

  16. Living Wage can change lives • A recent survey found that, since the Living Wage was introduced at the Royal London Hospital, 75% of cleaners believe that they can now pay for their children's education. On their old salary 85% said they couldn’t afford adequate food.

  17. What have we learned? • Make the primary employer responsible to the community • Chose locally focused, achievable goals • Unions must be involved • Coalition is crucial

  18. What are we aiming for? • Real social cohesion built through working together on common issues; struggling together and winning together.

  19. When work pays… ‘The new pay means money for transport, clothes and food … and I can pay for school and children’s pencil case and books now …, you know …I feel like coming to work now ... because I am getting good money for my work … not like before’ ---Royal London cleaner earning the living wage

  20. Justice, not charity

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