Islington Council shortlisted for Living Wage Champion Awards 2018
Islington Council has been shortlisted by the Living Wage Foundation for the Living Wage Champion Awards 2018.
The awards recognise Living Wage employers and individuals that have made great contributions to communities and industries by implementing and celebrating the Living Wage.
Cllr Andy Hull, Islington Council’s executive member for finance, said:
“At Islington Council we believe that no-one should have to do a hard day’s work for less than they can live on. Practising what we preach, we have so far secured the real London Living Wage for all of our own staff and 98 per cent of our contractors. We have also helped to persuade over a hundred other local organisations to become accredited Living Wage employers. We’re delighted to be shortlisted for this Living Wage Champion Award as we continue our ongoing work to tackle the scourge of poverty-pay”.
Afsa Ahmed, an apprentice business administrator at Islington Council, said:
“Since I started work here I have stopped relying on benefits. I am able to pay the rent by myself and I am also paying taxes for the first time. This feels important to me and motivates me to do even better. Receiving the Living Wage means I have been able to afford to buy the extra things my toddler needs and I have started to save a small amount each month for his future. It makes a big difference to me. I have spoken to other apprentices here and we feel lucky to be paid at a decent level. It makes us feel that the effort we put in is worth it. We are being given a chance to shine and show what we are capable of”.
Tess Lanning, Director of the Living Wage Foundation, said: “I would like to offer huge congratulations to Islington Council on being shortlisted for the Living Wage Champion Awards. By committing to responsible pay, employers like Islington Council have changed the lives of thousands of people across the UK, lifting workers out of poverty and transforming communities. We look forward to celebrating again in June when we announce the winners.”
The Living Wage is an hourly pay rate set independently, updated annually, and calculated according to the basic cost of living.
Employers choose to pay the Living Wage on a voluntary basis, and almost 4,000 accredited employers have now committed to put respect and dignity at the heart of their organisations by paying the Living Wage.
The awards are judged by an independent panel of business and community leaders, and winners will be announced in June.
Notes to editors
NOTES TO EDITOR:
The history of Islington Council’s civic leadership on the real Living Wage
This is the London Borough of Islington’s (LBI) real Living Wage (LW) journey, so far:
• 2010: LBI established the country’s first Fairness Commission (there are now more than 30 across the UK) to tackle poverty and reduce inequality locally.
• 2011: The top recommendation of the Fairness Commission was for Islington to champion the LW campaign.
• 2012: LBI became the UK’s first accredited LW local authority, securing the LW for all c5,000 of its own staff.
• 2013: LBI reviewed all its contracts (collectively worth £0.5bn pa) and built a LW requirement into its procurement process to secure the LW initially for 92% of its contractors.
• 2014: LBI reached 98% of its contractors being paid the LW by securing it for its 519 homecare workers.
• 2015: LBI secured the LW for all the staff at St Anne’s residential care home.
• 2016: LBI became the first council accredited as a LW Friendly Funder, requiring all charities receiving funding through its core grants programme to pay their staff the LW.
• 2017: LBI became the country’s first LW Landlord. Businesses renting its commercial properties are required to pay the LW to their staff on site.
• 2018: LBI will continue its work to:
• secure the LW for the remainder of its contracted care home staff• persuade other local employers to get accredited through its peer-to-peer LW Business Ambassadors scheme (118 local employers have been accredited to date, one of the highest concentrations in the UK)
• convince Arsenal FC to secure the LW for more of its contractors, including its match-day caterers at The Emirates
• use shareholder activism by the Islington Pension Fund to lobby FTSE100 companies to pay all their staff the LW too.
Contact information
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