Labour Continue To Campaign For Living Wage

As part of the TUC’s Fair Pay Fortnight, former MP and parliamentary candidate David Drew calls on local businesses to follow Stroud District Council’s lead and pay workers the Living Wage. Cllr Drew, who served as Stroud’s MP from 1997 until 2010, was commenting on the findings of the TUC on the proportion of workers paid below the Living Wage, “I was shocked to discover that nearly a fifth of all workers in Stroud are paid below the Living Wage.” The Living Wage is currently set at £7.65 an hour outside London, including Stroud. Cllr Drew continued, “The situation is even worse if you are a part time worker, where over half of all workers receive less than the Living Wage. We are constantly being told by our incumbent MP and Government that the recovery is here, but tell that to people on these poverty wages, as well of those out of jobs like at Listers in Dursley.” 

Cllr Drew went onto to attack his successor as MP, Neil Carmichael, “Last year, Mr. Carmichael refused to rule out voting against a cut in the national minimum wage (Stroud News and Journal, April 2013). I said then and I say now that that position is absolutely disgraceful – I was proud to vote for the National Minimum Wage when in Parliament. Instead, I call on the Government to increase the level of the national minimum age to that of the Living Wage.”

Vanessa Price, Labour’s candidate in Randwick, Whiteshill and Ruscombe, said “It’s vitally important that we continue to press for a Living Wage across Stroud and the whole country. It’s often women who lose out and are paid substantially less compared to their male counterparts. I’m proud to be working with Labour county councillors who are continuing to push for a Living Wage for Gloucestershire County Council school workers paid below the level, 94% of whom are women.”

Cllr Geoff Wheeler (Lab/Coop, Dursley), Leader of Stroud District Council, said “Last year, we made to conscious decision to give council workers a pay rise to the Living Wage level because all the evidence points to the fact that it leads to less sick days, higher worker happiness and efficiency, as well as putting more money in our employee’s pockets that they can spend in and around the Stroud district. I would encourage all local businesses to follow our lead and start paying the Living Wage; at Stroud District Council are really feeling the positive benefits.”