She made the call after it emerged that cleaners at the chain are still paid less than the living wage – an hourly rate calculated according to the basic cost of living in the UK, currently standing at £7.65 in the UK and £8.80 in London.

Although the John Lewis Partnership is widely considered to be a model of ethical employment, with a profit-share scheme that saw most staff receive a 14% bonus last year, its cleaners are not directly employed by the firm and, as well as being paid less than a living wage, are entitled to neither bonus payments nor a share in the firm’s profits.

Ms Lambert said: “The John Lewis Partnership is one of the most successful retailers in the UK: a trip to the firm’s flagship store in Oxford Street is, for many, synonymous with a central London shopping trip.

“It’s shocking then that it chooses to have it’s stores cleaned by people who aren’t paid enough to live on, and I hope this attention will persuade them to change their minds.

“The Green Party believes that the minimum wage should be replaced with a living wage, and that the last well-paid workers in the UK should all earn a greater share of the nation’s wealth.

“A more equal society is better for everyone, not just the least well-off, and all employers – especially one, like John Lewis, which is widely-regarded as one which treats its staff fairly – must do their bit by increasing pay at ‘the bottom’ and bringing in a ‘pay ratio’ to make sure its Chief Executive and best paid staff earn no more than ten times the amount taken home by its staff, often its cleaners, earning the least.”

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Campaigners from Unison, GMB and UCU gathered outside the Technopark Building, London Road to push for fair pay and improved conditions for the university cleaners and other low paid on-site staff.

The London Living Wage, the minimum hourly wage necessary for housing, food and other basic needs for an individual and their family, is calculated annually by the Greater London Assembly and currently stands at £8.30 per hour.  It is estimated that there are over 470,000 people in London over the age of 22 earning less than £7 an hour, with the proportion of people on low pay steadily increasing.

Jean, a member of the European Parliament Employment and Social Affairs Committee and a long-term campaigner for fair pay, said: “The application of Living Wage standards by employers such as KPMG and the Greater London Assembly have helped to lift over 8,000 people out of working poverty across the capital, yet there are still millions of workers waiting to be rescued from a life on low pay. 

“London universities such as London Metropolitan and the University of East London have led by example and changed the lives of hundreds of low paid workers by introducing the Living Wage for all on-site staff.  LSBU can follow their example and insist their contractors also pay a Living Wage. Everyone deserves a fair wage for their time.”

Notes to Editor

1. Jean is pictured with Greg Thomson, National Development Manager for Vulnerable and Migrant Workers, Unison.

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It is estimated that there are some 3.5 million people in the UK over the age of 22 earning less than £7 an hour.  In London alone, over 470,000 people work in low-paid positions.  In stark contrast, Britain’s largest listed companies are continuing to post healthy profits, with the Lloyds Banking Group reporting profits of £2.2 billion in recent months.

Jean’s appeal coincides with the annual upgrading of the National Minimum Wage, which takes place on the 1st of October. Campaign group FairPensions, who are heading the call upon the FTSE 100 to pay workers the Living Wage, state that the NMW rate does not provide low earners with nearly enough money for a decent standard of living, having a detrimental impact on family and community life {2}.

Jean, a member of the European Parliament Employment and Social Affairs Committee, said: “The application of Living Wage standards by employers such as KPMG and the Greater London Authority have helped to lift over 8,000 people out of working poverty across the capital, yet there are still millions of workers waiting to be rescued from a life on low pay.  Whilst the National Minimum Wage has helped improve the lives of some of Britain’s lowest paid employees, it remains well below what someone needs for an acceptable living standard.

“Adoption of the Living Wage by FTSE 100 companies would embed the principles of ethical pay across both London and the UK and could help trigger a fair pay revolution, resulting in a decent wage for all employees. As the largest listed companies in the country, members of the FTSE 100 are in the position to be able to lead by example and have the clout to influence other employers. I urge FTSE CEOs to help change the lives of thousands of low paid workers by introducing the Living Wage without delay.”

Louise Rouse, Director of Engagement at FairPensions, said:

“Since the launch of our campaign a number of FTSE 100s have confirmed their commitment to the Living Wage. We’re hoping to see more of Britain’s biggest companies sign up and reap the benefits of increased productivity and staff retention while providing their workers with wages that allow them a decent standard of living.”

Notes to Editors

1. The Living Wage is the minimum hourly wage necessary for a worker to provide their family with the essentials of life, such as housing, food and other basic needs. The London Living Wage is calculated annually by the Greater London Assembly and currently stands at £8.30 an hour.

2. As of the 1st October 2011, the National Minimum Wage for workers aged 21 or over will be £6.08, compared to the London Living Wage of £8.30.

3. Jean is pictured with Matthew Butcher from FairPensions.  To find out more about FairPensions, please visit: http://www.fairpensions.org.uk/

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Campaigners from PCS and JustPay!, the national campaign for Living Wage standards at FTSE 100 companies, will meet in Sheffield to urge all employers to pay the Living Wage rate; the minimum hourly wage necessary for housing, food and other basic needs for an individual and their family. The Living Wage currently stands at £8.30 per hour in London and £7.20 per hour for regions outside of the capital (1).

JustPay! estimates that there are currently some 3.5 million people in the UK over the age of 22 earning less than £7 an hour, with the proportion of people on low pay steadily increasing.

Jean, who will be speaking at the event, said: “Low paid workers in Britain are blighted by an ever-growing wage inequality which endangers health and has a detrimental impact on family life.  British people work some of the longest hours in Europe, yet many simply cannot afford to work less.  Everyone deserves a fair wage for their time without having to resort to working 24 hours a day, seven days a week.

Jean continued: “The application of Living Wage standards has already lifted 8,000 people out of working poverty in London yet there are still millions of workers waiting to be rescued from a life on low pay.  Even in time of economic difficulty, we need to tackle poverty.”

Notes to Editors

1. The Centre for Research in Social Policy at Loughborough University has calculated the Living Wage rate outside of London at £7.20 per hour.

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Jean Lambert, London’s Green Party MEP, will make a May Day call for the London Living Wage (LLW). She will join students, staff and union activists from the university colleges in Bloomsbury on a march this Friday 1 May, International Worker’s Day, to call for all employees to be paid a Living Wage, currently £7.45 in London.

The march, organised by the newly-formed Bloomsbury Living Wage Campaign, will stop at each of the educational centres around Russell Square, for speeches, drama and music.

Organisers have planned a special stunt to highlight the contribution low-paid, mainly migrant caterers and cleaners make to London.

The London Living Wage is the minimum hourly rate of pay needed to ensure a decent standard of living, but workers at some Bloomsbury universities are still being paid the minimum wage – just £5.73. Many are forced to take on several jobs simply to make ends meet.

Campaigners have won commitments to pay all staff at least the Living Wage at four London universities – Queen Mary, the London School of Economics, SOAS and most recently Birkbeck. They are hoping for similar success at UCL, the Institute of Education, King’s, the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine and London Met. They also want the institutions who have adopted the Living Wage to commit to all aspects of the London Living Wage package – not just the minimum salary – including union rights and decent sick and holiday pay.

Jean Lambert MEP, an expert on employment and a longstanding campaigner for worker’s rights, has pressed the European Commission to ensure EU rules support Living Wage policies. She said:

“The Living Wage campaign is one of the most important movements in London, and I’m proud to be joining this march and taking the May Day message of ‘Low pay – no way!’ to the Bloomsbury colleges.

“London’s universities are some of the best education establishments in the world. It’s time they set a similarly high standard for treatment of their staff. The capital is blighted by long hours and low pay, but everyone deserves a decent wage for their time.

“The recession has created difficult times for businesses, but workers should still receive fair treatment. We need justice for all.”

The May Day rally begins at 12 noon on the main steps outside SOAS, at 10 Thornhaugh Street, London (just off Russell Square).

Notes to Editors

The Living Wage is the rate of pay that enables a worker to ensure a decent standard of living for themselves and their families. The London Living Wage Campaign estimates that as many as 400,000 people in the capital are paid less than the living wage. Service sector workers, including cleaners, security guards and caterers, are particularly vulnerable and can also face exploitation.

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Jean, who is a member of the European Parliament’s Employment and Social Affairs Committee and Green MEP for London, has continued to campaign for fair pay for fair hours and welcomed Ken Livingstone’s introduction of the London living wage, currently set at £7.05.

Today Jean called on the Prime Minister to implement a living wage right across the country. As she signed a petition supporting the issue Jean commented; “British people work some of the longest hours in Europe yet 7 out of 10 people working over 48 hours per week say they would like to work fewer hours.  For many however this is impossible as they simply cannnot afford to do so.

“It is currently possible for someone to work more than 60 hours a week and still be paid less than £11,000 per year.  The number of people living below the poverty line in the UK is higher than the EU average and continues to increase. 

“The long hours culture is endangering our health and acting as a detriment to our family life.   We can’t have a culture that says you can not rest.  We need a national living wage immediatley to ensure this changes and everyone can make ends meet without working 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.”

ENDS

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