This week is Living Wage Week in the UK and, as part of this, we have just published our fourth Working Paper looking at the challenges and obstacles local authorities have faced – and overcome – in implementing the Living Wage.
The UK Living Wage is £7.65 and, at the time of writing, a number of local authorities in the North East (and hopefully beyond) are considering how they can implement the Living Wage. At present, none of the 12 local authorities in the region pay all of their staff over the UK Living Wage. During discussions with a number of local authorities, they have expressed concern over what the Living Wage might mean for pay structures, or for commissioning and procurement arrangements. These discussions suggested that a Working Paper exploring how other local authorities had appraoched these issues might be of benefit to local authorities who have yet to implement the Living Wage.
The Working Paper can be accessed by clicking on the image below, and below this are two related presentations that I have given recently looking at the wider role of employers in tackling poverty in the UK.
Working Paper 4 – Implementing the Living Wage in Local Authorities
Presentation delivered to South Tyneside Living Wage Commission (June 2013)
Presentation delivered to Business in the Community Peer Learning Network (October 2013)
If you would like any more info on our work with employers in the North East and the role they can play in tackling poverty, please feel free to get in touch with us.
Kind regards,
Steve
North East Child Poverty 
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