GREEN COUNCILLOR PASSES LIVING WAGE MOTION FOR LAMBETH

Lambeth's Green Party Councillor, Becca Thackeray has successfully passed a motion endorsing the principle of a Living Wage for all those carrying out work for the London Borough of Lambeth.

At a full Lambeth Council Meeting on Wed 28 Jan, Cllr Thackeray, successfully proposed a motion to make Lambeth Council a "Living Wage" employer. Currently through national pay bargaining rules, every direct employee is paid a Living Wage, but hundreds of staff who work for the Council via contractors are often not and forced to endure poverty pay.

Cllr Thackeray's original motion would have made Labour-run Lambeth responsible in ensuring that all employees of the hundreds of sub-contractors used by the Authority are also paid the Living Wage, including cleaners, security/reception staff and labourers, but a wrecking amendment put forward by Labour was passed to neuter the most relevant role of the motion.

The original motion stated that, "Lambeth Council reaffirms its support for the establishment of the London Living Wage, set at a level calculated by the Living Wage Unit to avoid the 'working poverty trap' in the capital, a situation affecting around 400,000 Londoners who are paid less than can reasonably fund the basic costs of living in London."

However Labour ensured that the part of the motion was deleted which would make Lambeth responsible for ensuring that its hundreds of sub-contracted employees were similarly guarenteed a Living Wage.