Ealing Council, together with partners, is working to encourage local employers to offer the London Living Wage, an independently set rate that reflects the real costs of living in the capital.
The council has teamed up with Ealing Citizens and West London College to invite businesses and residents to join an evening of Living Wage celebration on 14 November, the first day of Living Wage Week, at Southall Community College at 6pm.
What is London Living Wage?
The real Living Wage, £11.95 per hour, is a rate based on living costs. It is voluntarily paid by over 11,000 UK employers who believe their staff deserve a wage which meets their everyday needs, rather than the government minimum, £9.50 per hour, sometimes called the ‘Living Wage’.
Why join the event?
- Celebrate recent living wage wins for Ealing, including Ealing Council and Heathrow Airport
- Celebrate living wage employers in the borough
- Find out what paying or receiving the living wage can do for you
- Hear from Councillor Peter Mason, Leader of Ealing Council, and other councillors, the Living Wage Foundation and employers who pay the London Living Wage
- Meet and network with London Living Wage employers and find out about potential job opportunities.
Ealing Council’s leader Peter Mason comments: “Ealing Council has proudly been a Living Wage employer since 2013 and earlier this year we received the Good Business Charter accreditation. Having shown we meet these key standards; it reflects our efforts to be a responsible organisation and employer and gives us the opportunity to set and raise the bar for what it means to do business here in Ealing.
“Everyone deserves a decent pay in return for a hard day’s work. That’s why we encourage all employers in Ealing to become a Living Wage employer ensuring their employees earn a wage that meets the REAL costs of living and not just the government minimum.”
Councillor Bassam Mahfouz, council’s cabinet member for decent living incomes, says: “As outlined in our Plan for Good Jobs, a key priority for us to support residents into good well-paid jobs. In fact, we have committed to securing 10,000 new jobs in Ealing over the next four years.
“Please join us our celebration event on 14 November to recognise the Ealing businesses paying Real Living Wage in the current economy and the impact on their staff. And what a better place to host this event than Southall – a thriving and growing neighbourhood with much potential to bring new jobs to the area.”
Uplifting wages for Ealing care workers
The event will also be celebrating the recent increase of care worker wages after £2million investment. Carers provide crucial support to the most vulnerable people in Ealing and the uplift in their wages is only the first step in showing appreciation for their work.
Business rate discount to those paying the Living Wage
To encourage more Ealing employers to pay London Living Wage, the council offers a one-off business rate discount equivalent to two years of Living Wage accreditation fees to those that become Living Wage accredited.
Looking forward to seeing you
Whether you are a resident or business, we hope to see you on Monday, 14 November at 6pm at Southall Community College, Beaconsfield Road, Southall UB1 1DP. Please register for free.
