The Living Wage is a recommended pay rate that takes into account the true cost of living in the UK. It is meant to help low-paid workers earn at­­­ least enough to provide a basic but decent life for themselves and their families.GMB union strongly believes that everyone deserves to be paid at least the Living Wage.

The pay freezes of recent years have left local government pay lagging further and further behind the Living Wage. Currently, all National Joint Council (NJC) workers on spinal column points 10 and below earn less than the national Living Wage rate of £7.45 an hour. This amounts to a quarter of the NJC workforce. Even a small change in their financial situation can easily tip these workers and their families into poverty. Changes to the welfare system, and in particular to tax credits, mean that staff on low wages now have to pay significantly more for their childcare than in previous years, compounding the problems faced by families supported by NJC workers.

Employers don’t have to sign up to the Livi­­­­­­ng Wage, but more are doing so. Over 100 employers in the public and private sectors now pay the Living Wage.