What is a Living Wage?
Living wage is a term used to describe the minimum hourly wage necessary for shelter (housing and incidentals such as clothing and other basic needs) and nutrition for a person for an extended period of time (lifetime). This standard generally means that a person working full-time, with no additional income, should be able to afford a specified quality or quantity of housing, food, utilities, transport, health care, and recreation.
What is the Glasgow Living Wage?
The Glasgow Living Wage was launched in March 2009. It sets a new guaranteed minimum standard of income for all Council workers, set at £7.20 an hour.
Does this apply only to Council staff?
No. The idea behind the Living Wage is to encourage employers across the city to raise their own rates of pay – and those of contracted staff - to at least £7.20 an hour.
Why £7.20 an hour?
This figure is based on research carried out by the Joseph Rowntree Foundation which looked at developing a formula for calculating a minimum income standard. For their purposes, a Living Wage could be defined as the level of income needed to provide an acceptable standard of living in Britain to ensure good health, adequate child development and social inclusion. Following detailed research, they concluded that the living wage for a single working age adult in the UK was £6.88 an hour.
How will the figure be calculated in future years?
We are keen to ensure that the Glasgow Living Wage is based on sound academic research and will continue to work with partners to ensure that future rates are based on the same kind of research as the 2009/10 figure.
Will the Council only award work to contractors who pay the Glasgow Living Wage?
The Council is keen to widen the impact of the policy and will work within the current legislative framework to encourage contractors to pay the Living Wage. It is important that companies who benefit from public money can demonstrate that they are putting something back into their communities and we intend to use our procurement to raise standards of pay across the city.
Learn more about the Glasgow Living Wage at www.glasgowlivingwage.co.uk
If you require any further information on the Glasgow Living Wage, please email Paul Kilby or telephone 0141 287 0063.