THE Green Party has welcomed the Living Wage Commission’s report (1), which calls for the government to pay public sector workers the living wage.
The Green Party considers a living wage for all - not just public sector workers - to be an essential first step on the road to a fairer economy, an economy that prioritizes people over corporations’ profit.
The Living Wage Commission, an independent body bringing together business, trade unions and civil society, has today recommended that the government should pay its own workers a living wage. In 2014 the UK living wage rate stands at £7.65 an hour, and the London living wage is set at a higher rate of £8.80 per hour, to take account of the higher cost of living in the capital. The national minimum wage currently stands at £6.31 an hour.
Natalie Bennett, Green Party Leader, said:
"The majority of people in poverty in the UK are now in working households. In-work poverty is a disgrace and the Coalition government cannot continue to bury its head in the sand and ignore this growing problem.
“We need to rebalance our economy so that it is not so heavily tilted towards corporate interests and the ultra-wealthy. We need jobs people can build a life on. While wages lag well behind the cost of living, as they do today, too many are struggling to buy everyday essentials, to make ends meet.
“A living wage for all would transform the lives of millions of people in low-paid households. That’s why Greens at all levels of government will continue to fight tirelessly to see a living wage for all instituted.”
In Brighton and Hove, the Green administration introduced the Living Wage for its employees immediately after its election in 2011. It was one of the first councils to do so, and is now Living Wage Foundation accredited. The Green-led Council, with the support of the local Chamber of Commerce, also set up a voluntary Living Wage Campaign to encourage businesses to pay their staff a living wage. More than 100 employers, large and small, have now signed up.
At a European level, Green MEPs including Jean Lambert (London), Molly Scott Cato (South-West) and Keith Taylor (South-East), are fighting for a directive on a European minimum income and Europe-wide maximum pay ratios for any one company.
The Low Pay Commission's research shows that there are currently 712 employers across the UK accredited as paying a living wage.
According to YouGov polling 85% think companies, who can afford it, should pay their staff at least the Living Wage (2).
1. http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-27981975
2. http://d25d2506sfb94s.cloudfront.net/cumulus_uploads/document/aehp9f1zsu/Nationwide_Results_140324_LivingWage_Website.pdf