Westminster Labour Group and local activists are delighted that after years of campaigning Westminster City Council is finally adopting the London Living Wage (£10.55 per hour) for all its contractors and apprentices. At the Cabinet Meeting the Council adopted a policy that would see it work to achieve accreditation with the Living Wage Foundation and see future contracts adopt the London Living Wage for those based in London (and the Living Wage Foundation’s nationwide rate of £9 per hour for contractors based outside London). At present only the council’s directly employed staff are paid at or over the London Living Wage.

Requiring the Council to adopt the Living Wage for all its staff and contractors has been something Westminster Labour Group has supported for many years, being a pledge in our 2014 and 2018 manifestos.  After campaigning from Labour in 2014 the Council adopted the London Living Wage for its Home Care Workers but as recently as May this year the council was claiming it would be illegal to set a policy that contractors would receive the Living Wage.

Westminster Labour Group Leader Cllr Adam Hug said “We are delighted that the council has taken this important step to ensure everyone who works for our city gets paid fairly. We look forward to seeing this properly implemented to make real change in the lives of low paid workers.”