On Monday 3rd November, at the start of the third annual Living Wage Week, it was announced that the national Living Wage is set to increase by 20p per hour to £7.85, with London Living Wage increasing by 35p to £9.15 per hour.
Charlie Kiss, Green Party Parliamentary Candidate for Islington South and Finsbury, said; “The Living Wage centres on the idea that no one should do a day’s work for less than they can live on. Although it is a voluntary scheme, more than 400 companies in London have subscribed to it and been accredited. The compulsory National Minimum Wage is £6.50 per hour, which is 40% lower than the new London Living Wage. This difference disproportionately affects minority groups and is worse for women, with 27% of women paid below the living wage compared to 16% of men. This must change.”
The Living Wage is, and has for a long time been, a key point in the Green Party manifesto. In an address to the Greens’ 2014 autumn conference, Green Party leader, Natalie Bennett called for the national minimum wage to rise to £10 an hour by 2020, saying that people deserve “a decent return on their labour”.
Islington Council is a Living Wage employer, and were the UK’s joint-first accredited Living Wage council in 2012. As of 2014, 100% of Islington council’s own staff are now on at least the London Living Wage along with 98% of the council’s contractors.
Cllr Caroline Russell, Green Party Parliamentary Candidate for Islington North said; “I’m glad that Islington Council is putting pressure on other employers in the borough to pay their staff the Living Wage, and that they have declared they are aiming to get the Living Wage for the remaining 2% of their contractors, all of whom are residential care workers, mainly women and doing essential work for poverty pay. However, there are many in this borough who could easily pay the Living Wage and don’t. Arsenal FC is a prime example. Clearly what is needed is the minimum wage to become a living wage so that all workers are paid a wage they can build a life on.”
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For more information, interview or photography please contact Islington Green Party’s Press Officer, Ben Hickey, on 07799 678 630 or benmchickey@gmail.com
Notes to Editors
The Living Wage campaign was launched in 2001 by Citizens UK, an alliance of community organising groups. Living Wage Week is a UK-wide series of events aimed at raising awareness of and celebrating the living wage.
The Green Party is an accredited Living Wage employer.