Flag raised to celebrate London Living Wage Week
Hackney marked London Living Wage week on Monday 5 November by raising the London Living Wage flag over Hackney Town Hall.
The flag was hoisted by the Speaker of Hackney Cllr Clare Potter and Cllr Carole Williams, Cabinet Member for Employment, Skills and Human Resources, ahead of an event to encourage even more businesses to sign up as living wage employers.
The breakfast networking event will allow attedees to get first hand advice on becoming a living wage employer and will take place at Hackney Town Hall on Friday 9 November from 8.30am.
It will be a chance for businesses aspiring to pay the living wage to meet with those who already are, to learn about the direct benefits of being a living wage employer. Attendees will also hear from the Living Wage foundation about their national campaign for fairer wages.
There are 84 businesses registered with the Living Wage Foundation in Hackney, more than 30 of these are expected to attend the event. The morning will also include speeches from the Mayor of Hackney and BSix college students, who will be speaking about how the living wage will affect them personally as they enter the world of work.
Citizens UK and the Living Wage Foundation will be on hand to provide tailored advice and guidance to those who want to find out more.
We are encouraging even more Hackney businesses to become London Living Wage employers, by promoting the benefits, these are not only in the wellbeing of employees, but have direct positives for businesses, as paying the living wage helps them become an employer of choice, attract high quality staff and more importantly retain good staff members. I would encourage businesses to come along to our event and see for themselves the difference it can make to both their business and their employees lives.
Hackney Council was formally accredited as a London Living Wage employer in 2016 by the Living Wage Foundation, cementing a long-standing commitment to pay the London Living Wage. That commitment means that everyone working for the Council, regardless of whether they are permanent employees, temporary staff, part-time or agency staff or apprentices over the age of 18, is guaranteed to receive at least the London Living Wage.
The Council also ensures that contractors are awarded the London Living Wage, so over 800 more people are now seeing this rate of pay.
One of the Hackney businesses already signed up to the London Living Wage is Five Point Brewery. One of the businesses staff members, Rikki, who is the Duty Manager at the Pembury Tavern said: “I always found it a little difficult to keep up with rent and bills on my old wage until London Living Wage came in to the picture. Now, I find it a lot less of a struggle to reside in London; I can pay my rent and bills and still be left with money for myself afterwards. I have since felt far more passionate about my job, and found that I work twice as hard.”
Sign up to the ‘Celebrating the London Living Wage in Hackney - Breakfast Networking Event’ via Eventbrite.
A new rate for the London Living Wage of £10.55 per hour was announced this week. This is higher than the National Minimum Wage of £7.83.
The Living Wage rates are calculated annually by the Resolution Foundation and overseen by the Living Wage Commission, based on the best available evidence about living standards in London and the UK. Employers choose to pay the Living Wage on a voluntary basis.
For more information about the Living Wage Foundation, please visit the website: www.livingwage.org.uk.