6 November 2014
A group of organisations (together forming the GM Pay Equality Coalition) will today write to Greater Manchester local councils urging them to reduce the pay gap and ensure that all council contract workers are paid the Living Wage.
One in five workers in Greater Manchester is paid less than the Living Wage (1) – calculated to be £7.85 per hour - meaning they may struggle to pay for basic goods like transport, heating and Christmas presents.
The letter points out that in 9 out of 10 Greater Manchester councils, top managers are paid more than 10 times what the lowest paid workers receive, putting them in the UK's top 1% of earners.
Campaigners say that reducing this pay gap would allow councils to make sure contract workers are paid a Living Wage, without any loss of jobs. This could mean significant pay rises for care workers, cleaners, leisure centre staff and many others across the city.
Ben Irvine, author of the report In Place of Pay Inequality (2), said, "We need councils to take the lead on creating an economy that works for the many, not just the few."
Tom Skinner from the Greater Manchester Living Wage Campaign agreed, "Progress has been made by councils on raising wages for their lowest paid, but contracted and subcontracted council workers still often miss out."
Deyika Nzeribe, Chair of Manchester Green Party added, "The money used to pay six-figure salaries would be better spent by paying the Living Wage and on creating more good-quality local jobs."
(1) http://neweconomymanchester.com/downloads/2878-TNE-Raising-Floors-pdf
(2) In Place of Pay Inequality: How local authority pay policies can help make Greater Manchester more equal and sustainable, and why it matters, a joint report by Steady State Manchester and Equality North West, March 2014.
Pictured below: Report author Ben Irvine with Laura Bannister, Green Party PPC for Manchester Gorton
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