The Unite union at its 3rd policy conference warned supermarkets and hotel groups paying below the ‘living wage’ that they are to be targeted as part of a renewed effort to shame them into paying decent wages. The terms the union used were to say that it would ‘launch a war against low wages’ - drawing inspiration from the methods used by American unions, who rely on local citizens’ groups and damage businesses’ name.
The big supermarket chains, which together employ around one million workers, will be the first target. They will be urged not to wait until they are ‘shamed into action’ but to pay the living wage now. The living wage is £8.80 (€10.98) in London and £7.65 (€9.54) out of London compared to the national minimum wage of £6.31 (€7.87) for adults over 21 years of age.
After this Unite will hold ‘hospitality hustings’ in London to provide the capital’s 700,000 hotel and bar workers with an opportunity to press the mayoral candidates on their plans to address low wages and exploitation in that sector.
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