London Living Wage accreditation

The Lambeth Council Cabinet meeting in October is due to formally adopt as policy the Labour administration’s commitment to tackling low pay and our ambition to become accredited as a London Living Wage Employer. The Total Facilities Management procurement contract agreed in July has delivered our first London Living Wage contract covering services that employ cleaners, security and maintenance staff. 

The council’s Pay Policy Statement lays out the aim that all council employed staff should receive the London Living Wage (currently £8.31 per hour) as a minimum. All but a few staff are paid at the LLW or above. We are reviewing our procurement policy to ensure Living Wage is paid on new contracts. This would be done at the point of re-letting or tendering for new contracts with a requirement that those contractors bidding for the work incorporate a pricing option that includes the payment of the Living Wage as a minimum, and will be agreed subject to affordability. In some cases there will be significant costs for council contractors to bring their pay in to line with the LLW. For example, in adult social care lots of workers (e.g. carers) are paid the minimum wage. The estimated annual cost of implementing the LLW across all existing contractors in Lambeth is £10 million per annum. About 60% of this is social care.

Living wage employer accreditation is managed by Citizens UK and provides employers with a licence to the living wage employer mark. Lambeth Council will be a fully accredited Living wage employer soon.

A message from your ward councillor Paul McGlone about the ‘Move Your Money’ campaign

Much interest is being generated by the ‘Move Your Money’ campaigning group (www.moveyourmoney.org.uk)

to influence individuals as well as public sector banking choices

 ‘Move Your Money UK’ launched in February 2012 in order to help transform widespread public anger with the big banks into active support for ethical and mutual banking sector in the UK. The Move Your Money campaign is now seeking to encourage institutions to move their money out of the four largest high street banks, with a focus on the role of local authorities. A local campaign and petition is active (http://www.change.org/en-GB/petitions/lambeth-council-move-your-money-moveyourmoney) and ‘MYM’ representatives have recently contributed to discussions held at Finance Scrutiny Sub Committee on the future of Lambeth Council’s banking services.