TELCO award Living Wage Champion status to University of East London

On Wednesday 24 June members of The East London Community Organisation presented UEL’s Vice-Chancellor, Professor John Joughin, with a plaque acknowledging the university’s work in promoting the London Living Wage. A large banner was unveiled calling on other organisations in the Royal Docks Enterprise Zone to do the same. The event which was organised by students on the university’s London Scholars programme, launched the first phase of a campaign for the Royal Docks to become one of the first a Living Wage Zones in the country.

Since 2011, the university has insisted that all its sub-contractors are paid at the Living Wage. UEL has established a track record of championing financial resilience amongst its students and the wider community; In 2013 it banned pay day lenders from advertising on its campuses. In supporting this latest initiative the Vice-Chancellor, Professor John Joughin explained,

“UEL is London's leading university for civic engagement and as such we take an interest in the welfare of all the occupants of our local Borough. We have been proactive on the issue of financial exclusion, both for our students and the local community, for a number of years and we are proud of our track record in this important work."

Carlos Silva who works as a cleaner at UEL said:

“Being paid the living wage has not just changed my financial situation, it has also made me feel protected and appreciated in my workplace."