London’s Living Wage increases by 2%
The mayor of London has increased the city’s ‘living wage’ to £7.60 per hour, as new figures show the capital has the highest levels of poverty and inequality in the country.
Boris Johnson added an extra 15p to the living wage, to help Londoners ‘during these testing times’.
Introduced in 2005, the living wage has been implemented in at least 29 organisations across the capital, including all staff employed by the Greater London Authority.
The London living wage is calculated by adding 15% to the poverty threshold wage, set at £6.65 per hour for workers in the capital. An extra 15% will ensure that the person does not fall below the poverty threshold due to unforeseen events.
The living wage campaign has put an estimated £24m back into the pockets of low-paid workers in the capital, according to research by campaign group London Citizens.
The success of the wage depends on its implementation across the capital, said the mayor. Ealing has become the first borough in the capital to begin implementing the living wage across all public service staff.
Research from the Living Wage Unit found that one in seven employees in London receives less than £6.65 per hour, and one in five earns less than the living wage.
The announcement follows the recent launch of the London’s Poverty Profile report, an independent resource monitoring poverty levels in the capital. Developed by the City Parochial Foundation and the New Policy Institute, it provides information on a range of poverty indicators. Its research found that London has the highest levels of poverty in the country, with more of capital’s low-income population now found in outer London areas.
by (JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address)
