Politics

Tory refuses to say government will pay real living wage in squirming interview


The Education Secretary has refused to say government will pay real living wage in squirming interview.

A new report by the Social Mobility Foundation called for the Government to agree to pay the real living wage to all employees and contracted workers, including cleaners and catering staff.

But Damian Hinds refused to commit to introducing the measures in the report – including paying the real Living Wage.

He told the Today programme that the Department for Education is a “Living Wage employer”.

But the Living Wage, introduced by the Tories, is different from the real Living Wage calculated based on the cost of living.

The Living Wage Foundation calculates it at an hourly rate of £9 per hour, an increase of 25p per hour.

The UK rate is £1.17 per hour more than the government minimum wage (for over 25s) and the London Living Wage is £2.72 higher.

When challenged Mr Hinds replied: “Look I agree I haven’t come on here to tell you everything is perfect in the world and there’s no more improvement we can make.

“We introduced the national living wage that was a massive reform in pay and low pay in our country and the biggest we have a commitment in this area and the biggest pay increase for people on the lowest wages in, I think about 20 years, so we absolutely have a commitment in this area and I think there is more we can do to encourage employers and that includes employers who are contractors to government – to encourage them to be paying above the legal minimum.”

Damian Hinds wouldn’t commit to paying all staff the real Living Wage

Katherine Chapman, Director of the Living Wage Foundation, said: “We know there is cross-party and widespread public support for the real Living Wage, but there are still cleaners, caterers and security staff, working in vital public sector jobs, who are struggling to get by.

It’s time for our major public institutions to lead by example, use the opportunity of the social value framework, and join over 5,000 employers who choose to pay the real Living Wage.”

More than a year after the previous Social Mobility Commission resigned in protest at the lack of Government action, the new Commissioner has said things “haven’t changed at all”.

Ahead of the report, Dame Martina Milburn said of social mobility in the most recent four years: “It hasn’t changed at all.

“All the research we’ve looked at – and there’s no one reason, there’s a whole host of reasons – but all the research shows us it hasn’t changed at all.”

Martina Milburn warned that the government is still dragging its heels

But Mr Hinds refused to commit to adopting the measures in the report, telling the BBC: “I don’t think you expected me to come on the radio this morning and say immediately… we’re going to make changes in government policy,” the top Tory told the BBC.

He said he would take the recommendations “seriously” and admitted “there’s more we can do to encourage” employers.

He added: “As we develop government policies and come up to the spending review [this autumn], of course I will consider these points extremely seriously.”

The report found that while there was twice the number of 16- to 18-year-olds in further education as there were in school sixth forms, the level of funding for the sector had fallen by 12% since 2011-12.

While increasing numbers of students from disadvantaged backgrounds were entering university, they were more likely to drop out before graduating.

The report called for a “significant increase” in funding for all 16- to 19-year-olds in education, with a special “student premium” for the disadvantaged.

It recommended extending the offer of 30 hours’ free childcare a week to households where one parent is working eight hours a week – from 16 hours at present – which it said would benefit the most disadvantaged families.

And it called for the Government to agree to pay the living wage to all employees and contracted workers, including cleaners and catering staff.

“It is vital that young people have more choice to shape their own lives,” Dame Martina said.

“This means not only ensuring that they get better qualifications but making sure they have an informed choice to take up an apprenticeship rather than taking a degree, to find a job which is fulfilling and the choice to stay where they grew up rather than moving away.”

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