An important update in our campaign for all workers in schools to be paid the London living wage, and how you can help get your school to become a London living wage employer.
• The main cleaning contract for schools implemented on 1st April 2015 enshrines the London Living Wage as the lowest hourly rate a member of staff employed can earn
• The main catering contract for schools implemented on 1st September 2015 enshrines the London Living Wage as the lowest hourly rate a member of staff can earn.
• Camden Council has been a London Living Wage employer since 2012.
UNISON wants all schools in Camden to become London Living Wage employers. We submitted amendments to the model School’s Pay Policy for this year to allow this to happen. Schools are due to consult on this in the next few weeks.
We are launching this campaign during Living Wage Week for you to take a letter signed by all school staff for your school to agree to become a London Living Wage employer. Please get all the staff in your school to sign the letter and present it to the staff Governors and the Chair of Governors in your school.
Don’t delay; do it today!
All the main partners in Camden’s Education Service support the London Living Wage: Camden Council are a Living Wage Employer; The Catholic Diocesan Boards support the implementation of the London Living Wage; the Church of England General Synod also support the implementation of the London Living Wage. There’s no excuse for your school not to.
Please let Hugo Pierre, Schools UNISON Convener, know what your Governors have agreed to do. You can email copies of the signed letter and the decision to; hugo.pierre@camden.gov.uk
The London Living Wage is currently £9.15 but will rise to £9.40 on 1st April 2016.
To the Chair of Governors
This letter, signed by members of the school staff, believes that poverty is one of the biggest obstacles to a child faces to their learning. We note that the National Minimum Wage, currently set at £6.50 an hour is not a viable hourly rate for any family in London to live on. The new proposed rate, especially coupled with possible cuts to tax credits, of £7.20 will do nothing to lift these workers and their families out of poverty.We believe all workers in our school make a valuable and important contribution to the learning experience of our children. This valuable contribution requires our school community to treat all these workers with dignity and respect. The most important way in which this can be done is to make sure they are paid a Living Wage.
We agree with Camden Council, the Catholic Diocesan Boards and the General Synod of the Church of England that all support the implementation of the London Living Wage. We urge our Governing Body to agree to become a London Living Wage employer.