Thousands of workers on less than real living wage

THOUSANDS of workers in Greater Manchester are paid less than the real living wage – including key workers considered critical to the UK’s response to the coronavirus crisis.

The real living wage is a voluntary scheme devised by the Living Wage Foundation, which is calculated independently from the government and is based on costs such as food, clothing and household bills.

It currently stands at £10.75 an hour for those working within London and £9.30 an hour for those working in the UK outside London.

The scheme is separate to the statutory National Living Wage, which was raised to £8.72 an hour from April 1.

Figures from the BBC Shared Data Unit show that 20 per cent of employees in Greater Manchester earn below the Living Wage Foundation rates – around 230,000 people in total.

That number will include many key workers, including hospital cleaners and porters, teaching assistants and carers. The proportion of employees affected ranges from 20pc of ambulance staff (excluding paramedics), to 92pc of shelf fillers.

Tim Roache, GMB general secretary, said: “This crisis has shown everyone just how crucial so many low paid workers are to our health, safety and well-being. Millions of frontline workers aren’t paid enough to live on, but where would we be without them? Key workers are risking their health for the public good and they shouldn’t be going home to their families with poverty pay in their purses and pockets. That’s why we’re calling for a Coronavirus Crisis Allowance to be paid now – the vast majority of the public back GMB’s call for this.”

The Low Pay Commission, an independent body that advises the government, warned it might be necessary to apply an ‘emergency brake’ on longterm plans to continue to lift the statutory minimum.

The Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy said: “It is right we ensure the lowest paid are fairly rewarded for their contribution to the economy, particularly those working in essential services during the biggest threat this country has faced in decades. This year’s increase to the National Living Wage means we will be putting an extra £930 a year into the pockets of 2.4 million of the UK’s lowest paid workers.”