Pay all staff at least London Living Wage, urges Mayor of Hackney

Do as they do: Philip Glanville with Councillor Carole Williams highlighting the wage issue

Mayor of Hackney Philip Glanville has “waged” a campaign to get all businesses in the borough to follow his council’s lead and pay all staff at least the London Living Wage after the rate rose again, to £9.75 an hour – a hike of 3.7 per cent.

Some employers, including the Picturehouse cinema opposite the Town Hall, pay some staff less than the previous £9.40 London Living Wage hourly rate.

The Rio Cinema in Dalston also apparently does not pay the London Living Wage.

Mayor of London Sadiq Khan announced the increase last month, saying it reflected the higher cost of living facing Londoners.

The Child Poverty Action Group’s chief executive Alison Garnham said: “A London Living Wage rate for 2016-17 of £9.75 is a beacon of good news on a pretty grim horizon for the capital’s families.

“Four in 10 London children live in poverty, over half of these children live in a family where someone is in work so the London Living Wage provides an important mechanism to reduce in-work poverty in London.”

The London Living Wage is calculated to be the amount someone in London needs to earn to reasonably live on.

Businesses do not need to pay this amount by law. The legal, National Minimum Wage is just £5.55, rising to £7.20, depending on age.

Glanville said: “We have worked hard to ensure that all staff that work for the Council are paid the London Living Wage, which is a fair salary to help meet the cost of living in our borough.

“With our accreditation, we are helping to set an example to other businesses across Hackney to make pay equal and sign-up to become London Living Wage accredited.

“With a fair salary, not only will residents be able to make the most of the opportunities that exist in our borough, but it will help improve the quality of life and wellbeing for all.”