In June 2024, Lambeth invited local employers to discuss membership of the Living Wage Action Group that is an essential first step in becoming a Living Wage Place.
Who is part of an Action Group?
The Living Wage Foundation’s guidelines for forming an Action Group ask for it to include the local authority, private sector champions, a large ‘anchor’ employer such as a hospital or college, third sector employers from the volunteer and charity sector, a small or medium-sized local business and a civil society adviser Lambeth invited chosen members to build this mix.
Three-stage plan
Monalisa Saha of the national Living Wage Foundation explained the three-stage process Lambeth’s Action Group must complete:
- Form the Group
- Meet regularly to gain an understanding of in-work poverty and the Living Wage locally, including the experience of workers.
- Publish their Living Wage Action Plan including:
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- a list of actions and pledges
- setting targets for increasing the number of Living Wage employers, workers and pay rises in the borough
- details of which sectors and businesses should be targeted and the campaigning approach to get them on board as part of making Lambeth a Living Wage Place.
Word from the Cabinet
Cllr Marcia Cameron, Lambeth Cabinet Member for Economic Inclusion, said: “Lambeth greeted our new Local Action Group Members with questions and information about how much progress the borough has already made. Did they know how many Living Wage employers and employees Lambeth already has? (at the time, 291 and 62,000). We shared inspirational real-life case studies about local Living Wage companies and charities explaining why they believe Living Wage is right for them, for their workers, and for the local economy, and their reasons for supporting Lambeth’s aim to become a Living Wage Place.
“We invited them to discuss the challenges to boosting the numbers of Living Wage companies and employees, as well as what successes they hope to see in the future.”
More information
- See the one-minute video on making Lambeth a Living Wage Place
- For more on Lambeth Council support for local employers
- The Living Wage represents living with dignity on your earnings. The rate is calculated by an independent Living Wage Commission, advised by a focus group of different households. It’s based on a ‘basket’ of goods and services those households define as necessary – not just food but essentials like school uniform and a birthday cake. In London, rent makes up a higher percentage of the basket. See more at the Living Wage Foundation information pages
