Barking and Dagenham Borough Council in London has introduced a £9 per hour minimum wage for its staff, well above the national minimum and 45p/hour more than the “London Living Wage”.
The increase is a consequence of trade union campaigning that first led the council to implement a living wage policy in November 2011.
A statement from the GMB union said: “This welcome news comes as London media is reporting that half of Londoners fear that they may be driven out by the sky high costs of housing in the capital and the poor wages many employers offer.”
The council’s move came as the Office of National Statistics reported that the real value of average wages has hit a 10-year low. Workers face real-terms pay cuts of 12% across the board.
On 28 January, Gloucester City Council also voted unanimously to pay employees the national living wage of £7.45.
