Council leaders get behind Living Wage charter

WEST Yorkshire and York’s six council leaders have given their backing to the introduction of the Living Wage.

The charter the leaders of Bradford, Calderdale, Kirklees, Leeds, Wakefield, and York launched called ‘No Silver Bullet – Doing more to support our lower paid workers’ said tackling low pay is a priority.

The charter sets out 10 recommendations for the region. The charter calls for the introduction of the living wage by the end of the 2016/17 financial year. It calls upon the councils to use their influence to encourage local and regional businesses to do the same.

The charter committed to “guarding against inappropriate zero-hours contracts”, and driving a “good growth” agenda.

However the councils’ have admitted that success will only come if private sector employers also recognise improvements in pay, economic resilience and good future growth.

West Yorkshire Combined Authority chairman, Cllr Peter Box said the charter concentrated on three dimensions – pay, effects not linked to salary, and the role of councils as leaders in society.

He said: “We are already ethical employers. However, we must look at how we work and our behaviours and systems through a new lens to make sure that at all points we are conscious of the needs of our lowest paid.

“This is critical if the people that fill these roles are to be supported to develop and progress in an environment where local authorities are changing rapidly.

“What’s more, it is critical to the success of the future of local government. As such, there is nothing in this report that cannot be actioned and will not, when actioned, have a positive effect on our lowest paid.”

Kirklees Council leader Cllr David Sheard said he was proud of the progress made by the WYCA Lower Paid Workers Group, which is chaired by Kirklees director Ruth Redfern.

Cllr Sheard said: “It is important that this is not seen as something only benefiting our own employees – by setting an example and encouraging other local organisations to do the same, we will hopefully help a lot more people in the region to take a step out of poverty.

“It will be spent locally to boost our economy, supporting business and helping us to make us a thriving region in which to live, work and invest.”

All six council leaders have backed the Charter which will now go back to individual local authorities to pick up the recommendations.

Other Yorkshire councils that are have been officially accredited by the Living Wage Foundation include York City Council, Selby Town Council, Hebden Royd and Hessle Town Councils.

Listed building supplier Marshalls plc, the Kelda Group, the Spencer Group and the University of Huddersfield are also official Living Wage employers.

 

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