A huge milestone for worker pay in the West Midlands

Living Wage Week 2024: 611 employers commit to ensuring work pays in the West Midlands

Living Wage Week 2024 began with a powerful message of commitment and hope in the West Midlands. Leaders from business, politics, and civil society gathered at Aston University to celebrate a significant milestone: over 600 businesses in the region have committed to paying the real Living Wage, positively impacting the lives of more than 19,000 workers. The power of the over a decade of work that this people powered movement have put into ensuring work pays was on full display.

Professor Osama Khan, Deputy Vice Chancellor opened the event by sharing his pride that Aston University are the first University in Birmingham to accredit as a living wage employer – and renewed their commitment to the movement as part of their civic ambitions.

Cllr Sharon Thompson, Deputy Mayor of the West Midlands, emphasized the importance of the Living Wage as a tool for social justice, saying:

"The Living Wage is one of the greatest social justice movements across this city and region," she declared. "I am exceptionally proud that the West Midlands Combined Authority is a Living Wage Employer. There is so much more to do, but there is 100% commitment from the Combined Authority that we will walk this journey with you for our residents."

Her words underscored the vital role that governmental bodies play in advocating for fair wages and setting policies that promote economic equity.

Cllr John Cotton, Leader of Birmingham City Council, renewed their commitment to the Living Wage, emphasising his pride that the council have been an accredited living wage employer for over a decade. He stated that even when things are hard, it is important that the council make sure it's staff are paid a decent wage. Having previously led Birmingham's Living Wage Places group, he also made clear his continued personal commitment to the Living Wage - while acknowledging there is still much more to be done to tackle the "blight of low pay" in Birmingham.

Brian Carr, Chief Executive of Birmingham Voluntary Services Council (BVSC), highlighted the strides made within the voluntary sector and the work that still lies ahead.

"BVSC is proud to be a Living Wage Employer and to be part of the drive to ensure that everyone is paid a wage that empowers them to work and enables them to live," Carr stated. "Huge strides have been made in our sector already, but there is more to do in terms of supporting all Voluntary, Community, Faith, and Social Enterprise organisations to pay the real Living Wage."

Mohamed Mohamoud, director of the Small Heath youth organisations Dream Chasers said “We are constantly looking for new funding and grants to keep the lights on and pay our staff… Even when things are hard - it was important to us that we pay the real Living Wage. We know that low pay and poverty is at the root of many of the challenges our community faces. So doing our part and making sure everyone we employ can afford to live just made sense to us. If we can do it, so can you. So can anyone.”

More we can do - Living Hours and Living Pension

Andrew Gordon from the Living Wage Foundation shared exciting new initiatives designed to tackle deeper issues of job security and retirement poverty. The Living Hours and Living Pension standards aim to ensure that workers not only earn a fair wage but also have stable contracts and sufficient pensions.

"While celebrating the progress we've made and the hundreds of Living Wage Employers in the West Midlands, we know there's more to be done," Gordon explained. "As well as in-work poverty, insecure work and insufficient retirement savings pose huge problems for low-paid workers so we've created the Living Hours and Living Pension schemes to help employers provide security of hours and a better retirement "

West Bromwich Building Society have already accredited as a Living Hours employer and shared that for them this was not only about values – but also gave them a clear advantage in attracting and retaining talent.

If you are interested in learning more about Living Wage, Living Pension, or Living Hours - you can contact Andrew here.

Breaking down barriers to work - A Community Jobs and Skills Compact

A key theme throughout the day was ensuring that people seeking work were adequately supported to access vacancies, and training that is on offer - and have the support they need every step of the way. Dream Chasers CIC, a youth organisation in Small Heath, highlighted the importance of this - having recently begun to host job surgeries, jobs fairs and ESOL classes for local residents. Birmingham Citizens are aiming to go further still. Mashkura Begum, Co-Chair of Birmingham Citizens, described the approach, called a 'Community Jobs and Skills Compact' as "Bringing together employers, communities and the public sector - to break down barriers to employment. This allows us to connect training, jobs and communities together to make sure that people in this region can find work." This is about bringing jobs and opportunities to where the people who need them are, rooted in trusted institutions, with wrap around support to help them navigate the opportunities.

This compact will be formally launched later this year, but we are seek employers, community organisations and other partners who are interested in exploring this approach with us. Get in touch!