Ian Boulton, Labour Councillor for Staple Hill and Mangotsfield ward, proposed a motion at tonight’s South Glos Council meeting which would have seen the council become a Living Wage Foundation accredited employer, and would have given a pay rise to the lowest paid council staff who currently earn less than the Real Living Wage of £9.30 an hour.

“In 2013 South Gloucestershire Council became one of the first Councils to commit to paying the Real Living Wage. In 2016 the new Conservative Administration scrapped that commitment. Since then the pay of over 160 Council staff has fallen leaving them vulnerable to ‘in work poverty’.

Many politicians have been keen to demonstrate our appreciation of our carers and key workers during the Covid19 crisis by applauding them on our door steps. It is a fact however that clapping does not pay the bills. It is hugely disappointing that the majority Conservative administration at South Glos Council put forward what can only be described as a ‘wrecking amendment’ to stop our proposal to rectify this situation and pay our most poorly paid staff at least the Real Living Wage again.
Sadly, the clapping and supportive messages for our carers and key workers now sounds very hollow, given that the ruling Conservative administration at South Glos has chosen to continue paying ‘in-work poverty’ wages to many of the very staff they have recently been keen to have been seen applauding.”