Hundreds of regional business people and representatives of civil society groups met this week in North Shields to celebrate Living Wage week and to promote good employment practices.
According to Living Wage Foundation, a national charity, who organised the event, thousands of poorly paid workers are now ”celebrating a 5% pay rise” – although many more are trapped in insecure work with low wages. Low pay remains a major problem in the North East. One in eight of the region’s employees earn below the Living Wage. 3.4mn – almost a quarter are stuck in low paid insecure jobs. Seven in ten children experiencing poverty in the region are ”living in working households”.
The Foundation stressed that more bosses are becoming Living Wage employers paying their staff £12.60 an hour. Across the North East and Tees Valley mayoral authorities, 10,200 workers in 347 organisations will get the increase to £12.60 an hour – with anti-poverty campaigners now setting their sights on large employers, SMEs and others across the region.
Employers signed up by the Living Wage Foundation
To date, employers signed up by the Living Wage Foundation, include Newcastle and Sunderland councils; Newcastle, Northumbria, Sunderland and Durham Universities, the software company Sage UK, Northumbria Water and Newcastle Building Society, alongside some smaller firms like Kenton’s WDL run by Brian Dickinson.
Leader of Newcastle City Council, Karen Kilgour, said:
”We’re proud to be both a Living Wage city and employer, standing with thousands of businesses across the UK who go the extra mile by paying a real living wage. In Newcastle, over 100 employers have joined this commitment, ensuring fair pay for their staff.”
She added: ”As a council, we’re actively encouraging even more employers in our city to join this movement for a fairer future. Let’s continue to build a city where everyone’s work is valued.”
To highlight the case for improved pay rates, and more secure jobs, Tyne and Wear Citizens, a social enterprise company, have unveiled their own campaign in partnership with the Living Wage Foundation this week – branded ‘ A Real Living Wage for the North East’.
Calling for a real living wage
The campaign group is calling for a real living wage in the region so that all workers can be guaranteed a fair day’s work, that allows them daily essentials and live with dignity. The group points out that paying the real living wage is good for business. It helps to attract and retain loyal staff. It helps to expand the local economy and boosts purchasing power – while ”addressing deeper social issues and reducing the burden on already stretched public services.”
North East Mayor Kim McGuinness said:
”The Living Wage is a vital tool against low pay and poverty in the North East, and to create real opportunity for workers and families across the region. I’d urge employers to embrace the Living Wage, so together, we can ensure work provide a route out of poverty, so more people can fulfil their potential, and we become the home of real opportunity – with good work and decent pay at its heart.”
David Van Der Velde, North East Programme Manager for the Living Wage Foundation said:
”With devolution in the North East and Tees Valley, we now a great opportunity to start thinking in a joined-up way how business, civil society and communities can work together to grow the economic and social resilience of our region and deliver a Living Wage for the North East.”
