Activists in South Shields didn’t want a penny for the guy yesterday – they wanted the living wage.
They were out and about during Living Wage Week asking members of the public to sign a petition calling on South Tyneside council to pay the living wage of £7.65 an hour (£8.80 in London).
Northern regional convenor Clare Williams said, “We are seeing an increasing number of people being forced into poverty because their earnings are not sufficient for them to survive on.
“Living Wage Week is an opportunity to get our message out about ending poverty pay. The response from the public was very supportive.”
And she added that “one in three children in the region live in poverty. In Teesside and South Tyneside we have some of the worst areas of deprivation in the country. Earning a living wage will take families out of poverty, debt, stress and illness and improve family life.”
