The Living Wage Foundation has today announced new rates for the real Living Wage of £10.90 per hour and a higher rate of £11.95 in London. The Government’s so-called ‘National Living Wage’ is currently £9.50, with lower National Minimum Wage rates for younger workers.
Paddy Lillis – Usdaw General Secretary says: “The scale of the cost of living emergency for low-paid workers is made absolutely clear when the Living Wage Foundation feels compelled to bring forward their annual uprating and deliver such a significant increase. So the new Living Wage rates are welcome, which are based on an individual’s cost of living and clearly show that the Government’s so-called ‘National Living Wage’ is nothing of the sort.
“Usdaw is campaigning for urgent Government action on the cost of living emergency and we hope the Government will follow this lead by bringing forward the National Minimum Wage rate increases to October 2022, 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 New Deal for Workers campaign calls for a minimum wage rate of at least £12 per hour immediately, as a step towards £15, for all workers over 16, which would abolish rip-off youth rates. If you’re old enough to do the job, you’re old enough to be paid the rate for the job. As a result of our efforts, youth rates no longer exist in companies like Tesco, Sainsbury’s, Co-op and Morrisons.
“As recognised by the Living Wage Foundation’s ‘Living Hours’ campaign, improving hourly pay alone is not enough. We need to look at security of employment, availability of hours and guaranteed contracts, to ensure workers have a weekly income that they can live on.
“At the heart of the cost of living emergency is a crisis of employment rights that leaves workers particularly vulnerable to such economic headwinds. That is why Usdaw is campaigning for a New Deal for Workers, to help ensure low-paid workers can get through the cost of living emergency and to give workers the protections they need and deserve for the longer-term.”
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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