Category Archives: Living wage

No bounce for the Tories after tax-cutting budget, poll shows

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Opinium poll for the Observer reveals the public is unimpressed with Jeremy Hunt’s attempt to woo them by trimming national insurance

Rishi Sunak has received no poll bounce after cutting taxes in last week’s autumn statement, according to the latest Opinium poll for the Observer.

Following a week in which the chancellor, Jeremy Hunt, described a reduction in national insurance as “the biggest tax cut on work since the 1980s” Labour’s lead has increased to 16 percentage points over the Tories.

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Real living wage rises to £12 an hour as cost of living crisis continues

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The half a million workers whose employers pay the voluntary real living wage will earn £3,000 a year above the minimum wage

Almost half a million workers in the UK whose employers are signed up to pay the voluntary real living wage are in line for a pay rise to at least £12 an hour, taking their annual wage to £3,000 a year above the government’s minimum wage.

The Living Wage Foundation said employers in London that are part of the scheme will pay an enhanced rate of £13.15 an hour to cope with the extra costs of living in the capital.

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Inflation could push English councils into bankruptcy, say leaders

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Rise of £2.4bn in costs could be ‘disastrous’ and essential services may need to be cut, says LGA chair

Council leaders in England have said a multibillion-pound financial crisis caused by rising inflation could make local services unviable and even lead to local authorities going bankrupt, unless the government offers emergency funding.

The cross-party Local Government Association (LGA) said local services that were seemingly secure just three months ago were now at risk of closure or cuts as councils scramble to manage an unforeseen £2.4bn rise in energy and pay costs.

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London’s Royal Parks to pay attendants living wage following strikes

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Union says board agreed to salary increase after threat to escalate industrial action

Park attendants at seven central London green spaces will now be paid the London living wage after a wave of coordinated strikes.

Their union, United Voices of the World (UVW), said the board of Royal Parks – a charity which manages Hyde Park and St James’s Park, among others – agreed to increase workers’ salaries after it threatened to escalate industrial action on Thursday.

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Staff at ‘Brexit HQ’ Mayfair members’ club strike for living wage

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Migrant workers at club owned by Boris Johnson-backer Robin Birley, asking for £10.55 an hour

Staff at an exclusive private members’ club owned by a high-profile, Brexit-supporting backer of Boris Johnson are to go on strike.

Celebrities coming to 5 Hertford Street, which has hosted figures including George and Amal Clooney, Margot Robbie, Alexa Chung, Bella Hadid and royals such as Prince William, will have to consider whether they want to cross a picket line at the Mayfair property.

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Pay rise for nearly 2 million as UK living wage goes up by 4.9%

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Legal adult minimum of £8.21 an hour still leaves millions struggling, say campaigners

Almost 2 million workers in the UK are in line for a pay rise on Monday as the legal minimum wage increases by nearly 5%.

Adults on pay rates rebranded as the “national living wage” will receive a 4.9% rise from £7.83 to £8.21 an hour, worth an extra £690 over a year and affecting around 1.6 million people. The hourly rate for 21- to 24-year-olds will go up from £7.38 to £7.70, and for 18- to 20-year-olds from £5.90 to £6.15 in increases that cover about 230,000 people.

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