Petition Number 10 - London Living Wage

I have received two requests to publicise new Number 10 petitions. The first is from Nick Wall (see below). Under the petition is a draft email that I have circulated for approval to members of Newham TULO following our last meeting. Has anyone any suggestions or they may want to send a similar email to their Council leaders on this subject? The picture is of Ken being presented a plaque by London Citizens for his efforts to make the GLA a living wage employer.

"I have started a petition on the 10 Downing Street website in support of a living wage" : http://petitions.pm.gov.uk/living-wage-2007/

We the undersigned petition the Prime Minister to take steps to replace the national minimum wage with a living wage based on the level of pay and conditions that enables a full-time worker to make ends meet for themselves and their family. Official regional living wage figures should be announced such as the one given by Mayor Livingstone for London (currently £7.05 an hour). Nick Wall

Sample letter

Dear Mr Burbage

As a local resident and convener of Newham TULO (Trade Union and Labour Party Liaison organisation). I have been asked to write to you and ask for the Council's views on the "Living Wage for London" campaign. At a recent TULO meeting (Guest speaker Lyn Brown MP) it was decided that in partnership with the local council, MP's and community groups, we should work towards making Newham a "Living Wage" borough.

There are a number of issues. For example what hourly rates of pay are paid to directly employed Council staff and what steps are currently taken to ensure that Council contractors pay their employees a "living wage" (currently £7.05 p/h). There is also the issue over whether any guidance is given to local organisations that receive grants from (or via) the Council about pay and conditions?

Yours

John Gray

Newham TULO

copied to the usual suspects