One in four workers in the South West earns less than Living Wage, according to new report

The annual living wage research report by KPMG, published today, estimates one in four workers – 472,000 people – receive less than the Living Wage in the South West.
The figures are published as businesses, the Mayor and trade unions in Bristol join forces to pledge their support for the Living Wage.
 
Nigel Costley, Regional Secretary of the South West TUC said: “People deserve a fair day’s pay for an honest day’s work. But low pay is blighting the lives of hundreds of thousands of families in the South West. And it’s adding to the deficit because it means more spent on tax credits and less collected in tax.
 
“We have the wrong kind of recovery with the wrong kind of jobs – we need to create far more living wage jobs, with decent hours and permanent contracts.
 
“The fact is there are employers out there in the South West who can afford to pay living wages, but aren’t. It is now time for all responsible employers to commit to adopting this standard, which enables workers to earn just enough to be able to live a decent life.”
 

The Mayor of Bristol, South West TUC, Business West, KPMG and the Living Wage Foundation have issued a joint statement encouraging employers to pay at least the Living Wage, saying it is good both for the city's economy and image.
 
The statement reads: “Competitiveness is critical but we want an economy based on higher pay and skills. We do not want an economy where bad employers undermine the good ones.
 
“We want to encourage a more positive approach to fair pay, and for Bristol to be known for its good employers, decent work and the place to build good careers.
 
“We pledge to
 
•        use our joint efforts to engage members and partners in the debate over the Living Wage and its implementation
•        to advise and support those wish to adopt the Living Wage
•        to encourage members to become Living Wage employers.”
 
George Ferguson added: “I believe we need to achieve alignment of the Minimum Wage with the Living Wage to make real progress because of the competition issues in the traditional low wage sectors.”