Islington Council Leader, Catherine West, joined workers from across the capital this May Day bank holiday to celebrate the 10th anniversary of the Living Wage campaign and to receive a commendation from London Citizens for ‘employers who have led by example’. 
Islington’s Labour Council has formally adopted the London Living Wage and last year brought the cleaning contract in-house, so all 150 building cleaners now receive the Living Wage at no extra cost to the tax payer.
Islington Council is among 15 of the borough’s biggest employers that have pledged to pay at least the Living Wage to all directly employed staff. A recommendation in the draft final Islington Fairness Commission report commits to further progress by seeking to ensure that subcontractors and supply chains also pay the Living Wage.
Cllr Catherine West said: “nobody should do a hard day’s work for less than they can live on. Our borough has some of the most deprived communities in the country living alongside some of the wealthiest, yet we know that a more equal society benefits everyone. Creating a fairer Islington means ensuring a decent living wage for all.”
The London Living Wage is calculated by the Greater London Authority as the minimum income Londoners need to meet the additional costs of living in the capital and is currently set at £8.30 per hour. It was first introduced by London Mayor Ken Livingstone in 2005 following a campaign by London Citizens.
