UK: Six million workers paid less than the living wage

Published on BBCnews, Nov 1, 2015.

The data showed a « worrying trend » of part-time, female and young workers being most likely to earn below the figure, researchers found.

The living wage, promoted by the Living Wage Foundation, is currently £7.85 an hour and £9.15 in London. It is not compulsory for employers to pay it … //

… A government spokeswoman said the new national living wage would give a direct boost in wages for 2.7m people in the UK, « meaning a full-time worker will earn over £4,800 more by 2020 ».

« Treasury analysis shows women and those based outside London and the South East will be the biggest winners when the new national living wage comes into force, » she said.

But Labour’s business secretary Angela Eagle said things were getting worse, not better, for many families. « We need to see more better-paid, high-skilled jobs which pay a living wage, but these figures show that progress is slipping, » she said.

« At the same time the Tories are making life harder for those on low and middle incomes as they cut tax credits and hit families with a work penalty. People are working harder than ever, but will rightly feel that the government is working against them. »

(full text).

Links:

UK: The fight for a living wage will not be won in parliament, but in a shop near you, on The Guardian, by Yvonne Roberts, Oct 31, 2015;

Australia: Flexibility won’t stop Women Retiring in Poverty, on new matilda, by Petra Bueskens, Oct 30, 2015;

Namibia: War against poverty to be fought on all fronts – Geingob, on New Era, Oct 30, 2015 … an extract of President Hage Geingob’s statement at the Official Opening of the National Conference on Wealth Redistribution and Poverty Eradication delivered on October 26 …;

US: Are We Allowed to Say That Marco Rubio Is Lying About His Tax Plan? on Mother Jones, by Kevin Drum, Oct 30, 2015;

TEDx à la Rochelle: les « crises » au coeur des conférences du 7 novembre, dans Sud-Ouest, le 29 oct 2015; La Rochelle accueillera son troisième TEDx (Technology Entertainment Design) le samedi 7 novembre, à 14h30, au forum des Pertuis. Le thème sera Crises ? quelles crises? …;

Soutien aux agriculteurs en difficulté, modifications apportées au calcul des cotisations sociales, dans Boursorama, par Francis Lefebvre, le 29 oct 2015;

Big UK supermarkets adopt different living wage strategies, on Business and Economy, by Andrea Felsted, Oct 28, 2015;

Germany: