Siân Berry has launched the new Fair Pay Network coalition, of which she is a Patron, at the House of Commons. Siân addressed the coalition of organisations including the NUS, Unite, UNISON, the Fawcett Society, and Oxfam on the subject of low pay and gender.
Siân said:
"We are a wealthy country, and yet hundreds of thousands of people still work for poverty wages. This is not good enough: an economy can’t call itself successful until it provides a fair day’s pay for a fair day’s work. Everyone deserves a decent standard of living in return for their labour.
"Bit by bit, the fair pay movement is making progress, particularly here in London, and now with the Fair Pay Network we can spread this work across the country and join up our campaigns, giving us a real chance of abolishing poverty pay throughout Britain.
"Green London Assembly members have set up the Living Wage Unit, and won a pay rise for cleaners in the Fire Brigade. I’ve campaigned alongside London Citizens to force Citigroup into pay rises for cleaners at Canary Wharf, and we continue to put pressure on the Tate Modern gallery to pay a living wage to all its employees.
"As Green Mayor of London candidate, I’ve pledged to pay the London Living Wage to all employees under the Mayor, from telephonists at City Hall to cleaners in police stations. I’ll name and shame other employers – government or private sector – who won’t follow suit, and recognise those that will. And I’ll carry out gender pay audits to eliminate pay discrimination in London’s public services.
"I’ve joined this campaign to demand decent wages for all workers, but we have to recognise that it is women workers who are furthest from that modest goal. Low pay is most endemic amongst part-time, agency and temporary workers – the workforces that are majority female. As a result, women in Britain are 14% more likely to be in poverty than men. Close this gender gap, and we’re well on the way to a fair deal for all workers."
Siân explained the Greens’ role in winning a pay rise for cleaners in the London Fire Brigade, to the London Living Wage of £7.20 per hour, in a piece that was controversially cut by Channel 4 from her Political Slot film, shown last week. To see the full, uncut version of the film, click here
Siân will be joined at the launch of the Fair Pay network by fellow Patrons John Cruddas MP and Polly Toynbee; FPN chair Karen Buck MP, FPN treasurer Kate Green of the Child Poverty Action Group, and Karen Pleva of Barclays, which has become a Living Wage Employer.
Find out more about the Fair Pay Network here.