Plan for all jobs in Greater Manchester to pay UK Living Wage
Mayor Andy Burnham said the region is "calling time on insecure and low-paid jobs" - with a strategy for all local roles to pay wages that meet the cost of living.
Mayor Andy Burnham has announced plans to turn Greater Manchester into the first city-region where every job pays workers the UK Living Wage.
The real Living Wage is based on the cost of living – and currently stands at £9.50.
Around 1 in 5 jobs in Greater Manchester (roughly 200,000) pay less than this rate, and six local boroughs – Bolton, Bury, Oldham, Rochdale, Trafford and Wigan – all rank below the UK average for roles that pay the Living Wage.
Statistics provided by the GMCA also show that 38.2% of black/black British workers and 34.8% of Asian/Asian British workers in Greater Manchester are in low pay (compared with 23.8% of white workers), whilst 59.5% of employees who earn less than the Living Wage are women.
Burnham arranged the first meeting of the new Living Wage City-Region Action Group this week – which will work with businesses, unions, local authorities, faith groups and charities to ensure all employers in the city-region pay the Living Wage by 2030.
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Mayor Andy Burnham said that offering the Living Wage for all workers “is what levelling up looks like”
The mayor said: “Paying a real living wage isn’t just the right thing to do for workers – it’s the right thing for businesses too.
“People already in low-paying jobs with unpredictable hours were left exposed to the worst effects of the pandemic, on their health and on their livelihoods.
“Now, Greater Manchester is calling time on insecure and low-paid jobs.
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He added: “This is the first step towards a making sure everyone working in Greater Manchester has the dignity of decent work, paid a real living wage for real living hours.
“This is what levelling-up looks like.”
Chairperson of the action group Lou Cordwell said there is also a “strong business case for paying employees the real living wage.”
Cordwell stated: “Businesses in Greater Manchester increasingly recognise that they have a social responsibility, beyond simply making a profit.
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“By paying a real living wage they can make a genuine and positive impact on their community.
“Organisations that have made the commitment benefit from more motivated employees, enjoy a reputational boost, and find it easier to attract and retain staff.”
The Living Wage announcement is another big pledge made by Burnham during his first week since re-election – having already unveiled plans for a new regional transport network that will connect trams and buses whilst expanding the Metrolink.
Featured image: Mangopear Creative / Unsplash
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Police appeal to find next of kin after man found outside Palace Theatre
Daisy Jackson
Police are trying to track down the family of a man who died after being found unresponsive outside the Palace Theatre in Manchester.
The man, who has now been named as Jonathan Bernard Carroll, was seen outside the city centre theatre at around 6.30am on Tuesday 12 November.
Emergency services rushed to the scene and Mr Carroll was taken to hospital.
Tragically, the 47-year-old passed away a short time later.
A large cordon was in place on Whitworth Street and Oxford Road while police and security attended the incident.
Greater Manchester Police are now appealing to find his next of kin.
It’s believed that he resided in the Salford area of Greater Manchester.
Anyone with any information should contact the Coroner’s Office on 0161 856 1376.
Greater Manchester public urged to help get people ‘off the streets and on their feet’ before Christmas
Emily Sergeant
Locals are being urged to help get hundreds of people “off the streets and back on their feet” this festive season.
As the temperatures told colder by the day, and Christmas creeps closer and closer, Greater Manchester Mayor’s Charity is bringing back ‘1000 Beds for Christmas’, and the massively-important initiative is aiming to provide 1,000 nights of accommodation to people at risk of homelessness before the big day arrives.
Forming part of the ongoing ‘A Bed Every Night’ scheme, this festive fundraising mission is designed to provide food, shelter, warmth, and dedicated vital wrap-around support for those who need it most.
The charity says it wants to build on the “incredible success of 2023”, which raised more than £55,000 and provided 1,800 nights of accommodation.
Stockport-based property finance specialists, Together – which has supported the campaign for the last two years – has, once again, generously pledged to match every public donation for the first £20,000 raised.
Unfamiliar with the ‘A Bed Every Night’ scheme? Since 2017, when rough sleeping peaked, the initiative has helped ensure a significantly-higher rate of reduction in the numbers of people facing a night on streets in Greater Manchester than seen nationally.
The landmark scheme has given people the chance to rebuild their lives, while also giving them access to key services and opportunities that allows them to stay off the streets for good.
Despite the scheme’s recent success, organisations across Greater Manchester are under “a huge amount of pressure” to meet the demand for their services this winter, and given the current economic outlook, household budgets will continue to be squeezed – leaving people on the sharp end of inequality and poverty.
The Manc -
14th May 2021 
