Living costs soar in H&F as Council ups wages

Living costs have soared in Hammersmith & Fulham in the years since the crash a new report from the trade union Unison has revealed. The research shows that a resident, living in a two bed home, earning the National Minimum Wage and commuting to work in central London from Hammersmith & Fulham has to spend an estimated 12.41 per cent of their pay on travel and 186.5 per cent on rent, compared with 4.96 per cent and 74.6 per cent in 2008 respectively.

That is a massive increase in anyone's books, and Labour Assembly Member Murad Qureshi (pictured left) has jumped on the findings to demand that all statutory authorities in London adopt the London Living Wage (as opposed to the Minimum Wage) to lead the way in closing the gap faced by the poorest paid between their wage packets and their bills.

Mr Qureshi said:

“The London Living Wage has been successful in ensuring thousands of workers in London receive a fair days pay for a fair days work. Today’s report shows that introducing a statutory living wage could lead to an increase in jobs rather than a reduction. I am delighted that there are now plans to introduce measures to encourage more employers to pay a Living Wage through tax incentives. 

“The Mayor must do more to encourage employers to pay the London Living Wage and he can start by making the institutions he is responsible for accredited London Living Wage employers. At the current rate of progress it will take 450 years for all workers to be paid a living wage in London. Londoners are struggling and the Mayor’s inflation-busting fare increases mean that residents earning the National Minimum Wage and travelling to work in zone one have to spend an estimated 12.41 per cent of their pay on travel, and 74.6 per cent on rent". 

It was announced that the LLW will rise next year to £8.80 from its current rate of £8.55 compared to £6.31 which is the National Minimum Wage.

But there is good news in our borough too - it turns out that our Council pays well in excess of the LLW, with a Council spokesman telling me this afternoon:

"The Council offers its employees a minimum wage of £9.21 per hour, hence going beyond the minimum set down as the London Living Wage."

Regular readers will know I have lots of disagreements with this Council - but they really do deserve serious credit for this. By setting this sort of example it becomes very difficult for others, particularly in the public sector, not to follow. I would be interested to know, for example, whether the workers sweeping our streets for Serco are paid this amount or others who work for outsourced firms. I plan on finding out. But in the meantime full marks to the Council.