Peter Lazenby
This is the last article you can read this month
You can read more article this month
You can read more articles this month
Sorry your limit is up for this month
Reset on:
Please help support the Morning Star by subscribing here
AN increase in the “real living wage” means that tens of thousands of health, social care and local government workers are being paid less than they need to survive, the GMB union said today.
The real living wage, which is more than the government’s statutory minimum wage, is calculated by the Living Wage Foundation and based on actual living costs.
It is £5,000 a year higher than the statutory minimum wage in London, and £3,000 higher than the minimum across the rest of Britain.
The real living wage is adopted voluntarily by about 11,000 employers, employing 390,000 workers.
It has been increased to £11.95 in an hour in London and £10.90 in the rest of Britain – an increase of 10.1 per cent.
The increase was welcomed by the Living Wage Foundation as the biggest in its 11-year history.
But general union GMB says it illustrates how badly paid public sector workers are – because they are now paid less than the amount calculated to be enough to survive.
“Today’s real Living Wage Foundation rate increase means the NHS, many local authorities across Britain and almost the entire care sector cannot be called Living Wage Employers,” it said in a statement.
The union said the new Living Wage is higher than the rates paid to low-paid NHS staff, local government workers and care workers employed by big care providers.
GMB acting national secretary Rachel Harrison said: “The fact tens of thousands of NHS workers, school staff, local government workers and care staff aren’t even paid a living wage should be a badge of national shame.
“What kind of society do we want to live in? Do we want to make sure those who look after us can feed their children and keep a roof over their head?
“Or do we want to let already wealthy bankers enjoy uncontrolled bonuses in some vague bid to ‘boost the City’?
“This government already seems pretty clear on who it is going to look after.”
TUC economics officer Afzal Rahman said: “Britain is suffering from a low pay epidemic.
“We urgently need to get pay rising across the economy. And we need a £15 minimum wage as soon as possible.”
An ambulance care assistant said: “[I] can’t afford to have the heating on and feed a family of six.
“[It] has to be one or the other. Years of no wage rise are beginning to bite.”
