Councils pay Living Wage but £10 is aim


The GMB general union has published the names of 175 local authority employers in England, Wales and Northern Ireland paying and nine councils committed to pay a Living Wage.


A regional breakdown of the councils can be accessed by following the link at the end of the article. London and the South East both have 25 councils paying the Living Wage, but in the North East the number is just four.


However, the union will continue to press for a Living Wage of £10. Justin Bowden, national officer for local authority workers, said that its members have made clear that “in their experience you need at least £10 an hour and a full working week to have a decent life free from benefits and tax credits”. 


“Less than £10 an hour means just existing not living. It means a life of isolation, unable to socialise. It means a life of constant anxiety over paying bills and of borrowing from friends, family and pay day loan sharks just to make ends meet," he said.


www.gmb.org.uk/newsroom/list-of-councils-on-living-wage