- Conference
- 2015 Local Government Service Group Conference
- Date
- 18 February 2015
- Decision
- Carried as Amended
This conference notes and applauds the major campaign being waged by the BFAWU (Bakers Food and Allied Workers Union) within the national fast food takeaway companies, in partnership with the Fast Food Rights Campaign and Youth Fight For Jobs. The main thrust of this campaign is to recruit and organise young people into trade unions around the demand for a £10 per hour Living Wage.
This conference also notes that the GMB National Conference 2014 agreed to campaign for a £10 ph Living Wage in the security industry.
UNISON members in Local Government (those covered by the NJC) were engaged in a major dispute over poverty pay levels in 2014 and the demand for a £1 per hour increase in wages. Conference recognises that, even if this claim had been met in full, thousands of local government workers would still only just be receiving the Outer London Living Wage of £7.65 per hour.
Our sisters and brothers in the Health Service Group are also campaigning to raise members’ pay to a fair level and to eradicate poverty pay.
We can look across the ocean to the USA for inspiration. The 15Now mass movement in Seattle has won legislation which provides for a minimum wage of $15 per hour. All across America 15Now groups are being established and are growing steadily. Conference applauds this initiative.
This conference believes that we need to raise the sights of members as to what is possible and look towards a Living Wage for all which prevents workers falling into poverty.
Conference therefore agrees to:-
1)Support and encourage initiatives in the Local Government Service Group to campaign for a £10 per hour Living Wage;
2)Send solidarity greetings to the BFAWU in support of their campaign ‘Fast Food Rights’;
3)Send solidarity greetings to the 15Now campaign in Seattle.
Conference calls on the Service Group Executive to work within UNISON to promote the idea of a living wage of £10 per hour