Living wage week right time to make it mandatory, starting with big business and government
Jenny Jones AM has called for the Mayor of London to look at ways to start making the London Living Wage mandatory during the second Living Wage Week.
Jenny Jones right, with Green Party activists
Despite previously telling the London Assembly his ambition was for all companies to pay the Living Wage, the Mayor is only aiming to sign up 250 out of the 1,350 big businesses in London by 2016. By that date there may still be 650,000 Londoners on poverty wages.
The Mayor has talked about lobbying Whitehall for years but has failed to raise it at meetings with ministers. When questioned, he failed to cite a single example of a time he has lobbied the Government on the issue, despite making a pledge to do so in his election manifesto.
Green Assembly Member Jenny Jones has a long history of calling for Londoners to be paid a mandatory Living Wage, most recently in her report Closing the Gap.
Speaking at the beginning of the Living Wage Week 2013, Jenny said: “The living wage campaign has been a stunning success, but now it is time for the Mayor to ensure everyone in London is paid a wage they can build a life on. A few living wage zones won’t help the hundreds of thousands of Londoners who aren’t paid enough to cover their rent and bills. The Mayor needs to tackle the big businesses and government departments that can afford to pay a living wage.
“Paying everyone a living wage would slash the benefit bill, freeing up billions over the next few years for the Mayor to invest in job creation schemes like housing and renewables. This could help to offset any extra unemployment created.”