Council calls on businesses to make Hackney a London Living Wage borough
This Living Wage Week, the Council is calling on businesses to help make Hackney a London Living Wage borough: where no workers are paid less than they can reasonably live on.
The Council’s efforts to ensure all of its staff and contractors are paid a fair wage were recognised recently, when it was given national Living Wage accreditation.
All direct employees – as well as temporary, agency staff and apprentices over 18 – have long received the London Living Wage.
As Council contracts have come up for renewal, including most recently adult homecare services, over 800 more people are now receiving the wage – currently £9.40 per hour.
The London Living Wage is calculated to be the amount someone in London needs to earn to reasonably live on.
Businesses do not need to pay this amount by law: the legal, National Minimum Wage is just £5.55, rising to £7.20, depending on age.
We have worked hard to ensure that all staff that work for the Council are paid the London Living Wage, which is a fair salary to help meet the cost of living in our borough. With our accreditation, we are helping to set an example to other businesses across Hackney to make pay equal and sign-up to become London Living Wage accredited. With a fair salary, not only will residents be able to make the most of the opportunities that exist in our borough, but it will help improve the quality of life and wellbeing for all.
We are pleased to have achieved the London Living Wage for all directly employed staff and contractors, but the work doesn’t end here. We are committed to ongoing monitoring of our contracts and reviewing annual pay scales for staff to ensure they do not fall below the London Living Wage. Let’s not also forget that this rate of pay is positive for businesses too, it helps to employ good quality staff and can help to retain a workforce. I will join with the Mayor, fellow Councillors and staff across the Council to work with Hackney businesses to help to ensure they pay the London Living Wage.
Hackney Council’s London Living Wage Accreditation marks London Living Wage Week which takes place from today (31 October) and is organised by the Living Wage Foundation.
Hackney Council applied to the Living Wage Foundation and was accredited as a London Living Wage employer on 20 October 2016.
For more information about the Living Wage Foundation, please visit the website: www.livingwage.org.uk