Commenting on the new living wage rates announced today (Monday) by the Living Wage Foundation of £9.40 an hour in London, and £8.25 elsewhere in the UK, UNISON General Secretary Dave Prentis said:
“Today’s increase will be a welcome pay boost to many, but there are many people in work today who still earn much less than this. This includes nearly a million people, mostly women, who provide care to the most vulnerable in our society. This is a low pay scandal that must end.
“With the government keeping a tight rein on the public purse strings, it can be difficult for public sector employers to find the extra cash to pay staff the living wage.
“But many have done so, and unions will keep campaigning to encourage all of the public sector to pay fair and decent wages. Then hopefully more and more private firms will come to realise too the benefits of becoming living wage employers.”
