West Midlands Police make Commonwealth Games living wage pledge

And now Labour MP and potential West Midlands mayoral candidate, Liam Byrne, is urging the Commonwealth Games organising committee to do the same.

Several organisations have called on the 2022 event to become the first real Living Wage Games in history, with the TUC, MP Liam Byrne and Birmingham council leader Ian Ward all giving their backing to the campaign.

The real living wage, as defined by the Living Wage Foundation, is “a calculation made according to the cost of living, based on a basket of household goods and services”.

The figure currently stands at £9.30 per hour for employees outside of London, and £10.55 for those living in London. In Birmingham, approximately 25 per cent of workers earn below the living wage, rising to 30 per cent of women workers.

This week, West Midlands Police confirmed at its Strategic Policing and Crime Board on Tuesday that it would be paying its staff the real Living Wage, saying in a statement: “Work is ongoing to ensure social value principles are integral to our procurement approach.

“This includes, as a minimum, all staff and contractors are to be paid the real Living Wage as defined by the Living Wage foundation.

“The Organising Committee are developing their own social values strategy, and have been briefed on the WMP approach.”

And MP Liam Byrne says he welcomes the news – but added that the Organising Committee also need to adopt the policy if Birmingham 2022 is to become the first Living Wage Games.

“We’re not going to get rid of foodbanks until we get rid of poverty pay,” he said.

“Foodbank usage is soaring, and one of the reasons for that is we have over a quarter of a million people in our region who are paid less than what they need to live on. That’s now calculated at £9.30 an hour.

“The eyes of the world will be on Birmingham in 2022 and this is an important step to show them the sort of place we can be.

“Confirmation that workers on the Games will get the real living wage is a hugely significant step. I now look forward to Organising Committee becoming an accredited living wage employer.

“I would like to thank Council Leader Ian Ward and the Police Commissioner David Jamieson, who have fought with me for this at the highest levels.”