The Living Wage Foundation announced new rates for the ‘real’ Living Wage today and gives accredited businesses six months to implement the increase. The Government’s so-called ‘National Living Wage’ is currently £9.50, with lower National Minimum Wage rates for younger workers.
Dave Gill – Usdaw National Officer says: “Usdaw has been in discussions with IKEA about them continuing to be a Living Wage employer and implementing the latest increase. So our members are pleased to hear today that the company has agreed to pay the new Living Wage from January. They remain one of a few retail employers who pay the real Living Wage.
“The scale of the financial challenges facing all workers is immense and there still needs to be significant interventions from Government. Even under their plan, energy prices will have still doubled in six months. Along with other prices sky-rocketing the cost of living is simply unaffordable for far too many workers.
“Usdaw is campaigning for urgent Government action on the cost of living crisis and we back the TUC call for the date of the National Minimum Wage rate increases to be brought forward to next month, instead of April 2023. Alongside this, we are seeking talks with all the employers we deal with to secure urgent assistance to tackle the hardship that many of our members are facing. Our discussions with IKEA will continue to see what else the company can do to support our members through the deepening cost of living crisis.
“While we welcomed the latest increase in Living Wage rates, Usdaw continues to campaign for a New Deal for Workers with a minimum wage of at least £12 per hour, as a step to £15, and an end to insecure employment. Living Wage employers like IKEA are leading the way, but we need the Government to go much further.”
Usdaw’s New Deal for Workers calls for:
- Minimum wage of at least £12 per hour as a step towards £15 for all workers, ending rip-off youth rates.
- Minimum contract of 16 hours per week, for everyone who wants it, that reflects normal hours worked and a ban on zero-hour contracts.
- Better sick pay for all workers, from day one, at average earnings.
- Protection at work, respect for shopworkers, abuse is not a part of the job.
- Proper social security system, Universal Credit does not provide an effective safety net.
- Job security, with day one employment rights for unfair dismissal and significant improvements to redundancy protections.
- Fair treatment and equality for all workers, including equal pay.
- Voice at work, stop rogue employers refusing to engage with trade unions and end ‘fire and rehire’.
Notes for editors:
Usdaw (Union of Shop, Distributive and Allied Workers) is the UK's fifth biggest trade union with around 360,000 members. Most Usdaw members work in the retail sector, but the union also has many members in transport, distribution, food manufacturing, chemical industry and other trades.
For Usdaw press releases visit: http://www.usdaw.org.uk/news and you can follow us on Twitter
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