MP calls for speedy Living Wage review (From Warrington Guardian)
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Warrington North MP Helen Jones calls for speedy Living Wage review
10:20am Wednesday 23rd January 2013 in News
Helen Jones
HELEN Jones MP has welcomed Warrington Borough Council plans to look at introducing a Living Wage to Warrington.
The council’s executive board approved plans for a panel to look at introducing the wage level, set higher than the National Minimum Wage at £7.45 on Monday night.
But the Warrington North MP who is a Living Wage campaigner, has called on them to make the move quickly to benefit the council’s own work force who are on wages below that higher range.
She said: “ I was staggered to find out that 848 staff employed by the council receive basic pay under £7.45 per hour. Like many other councils around the country we can ensure we put that right.
“The introduction of the Living Wage is a practical way the council can help some of the poorest paid people in Warrington. The council should lead the way. Once it has been introduced in the council pressure can be exerted on contractors to do the same.
“ It is great news that the council are looking at this but I am told it could take until the end of the year to make a decision. I would hope that the process could be speeded up.”
Comments(4)
Karlar
says...
2:20pm Wed 23 Jan 13
chrislee1275@aol.com
says...
4:43pm Wed 23 Jan 13
What it isn't is a 'government' set amount like the minimum wage. Also there appears to be more than one. Yes the headline is that there are two one for London and one for the rest of the country. But when you look in detail it is intended to be 'tailored' to individual areas and locations. It varies with housing costs and council tax for example.
By the way the £7.45 figure appears to be for Loughboprough so I don't know if it is appropriate for Warrington it could be too much or too little!
If you look it is based on a housholds income annually not an hourly rate as such and assumes there is no other source of income. It also assumes there are two adults and one is a full time wage earner and the other wage earner works half the week. It also assumes two children.
If there were only one wage earner and or more children the figure is more. If both adults work full time and or less children the figure is less!
What's more the foundation behind this states that as the figure for the living wage is so low wages will need to be increased by inflation plus 2% per annum.
So is it a living wage or not?
old-codger
says...
6:25pm Wed 23 Jan 13
(If) someone on minimum wage is getting £40 a week in benefits then the extra £1 an hour will reduce the benefit bill by that amount, Its about time employers stopped dragging this country down with the cost of subsidising their profits, It must be easier and quicker to just up the minimum wage.
Nick Tessla says...
1:38pm Wed 23 Jan 13
As it is, the tax payer spends too much on subsidising bad employers.