Cuncil union GMB launched a major campaign today to increase thousands of council workers' pay, warning many are forced to claim tax credits and free school meals to make ends meet.
GMB Trade-Union, which represents 280,000 low-paid local authority workers in England and Wales, said that it wanted to secure the living wage of £7.45 an hour outside London and £8.55 in the capital, which is well above the national minimum wage of £6.11. The union said that 27 councils in England and Wales had already introduced or were committed to a living wage.
National officer Brian Strutton said: "After years of pay freezes, local government is now the lowest paid of any major sector of the economy. "It is also nonsensical that their pay has to be topped up through the benefit system when they could have the dignity of being paid fairly."
Courtesy of Morning Star
