The Living Wage Foundation published a report today exploring the impact of the campaign for a real Living Wage in the UK over its 25-year history.
The report, released to mark the 25th anniversary of the Living Wage campaign, tracks the development of the movement, from its creation by low paid workers in East London in 2001, all the way through to the present day.
Today, there are over 16,000 accredited Living Wage Employers covering every nation and region of the UK, with over 4.1 million people working for them, equivalent to one in seven workers. Since the campaign began, it has delivered more than £4.1 billion in additional pay to low-paid workers, and nearly half a million workers receive a pay rise every year thanks to the real Living Wage.
Public awareness of the campaign is now extensive: 75 per cent of the public have heard of the real Living Wage, and 41 per cent are aware of what a Living Wage Employer is or have seen the Living Wage Employer logo.
The report highlights key moments and milestones along the way to these achievements, from the creation of the Living Wage Foundation and a UK-wide real Living Wage in 2011; to the adoption of the Living Wage at the 2012 London Olympics; and the Government rebranding the minimum wage as the ‘National Living Wage’ in 2016, reflecting the campaign’s growing influence on UK wages.
Key figures from the movement past and present give their reflections on its success, with contributions from supporters such as Martin Lewis CBE and Mayor of London Sadiq Khan; leading employers like Uniqlo and COOK; important third sector partners Resolution Foundation, Trust for London and Joseph Rowntree Foundation; as well as local activists and organisers involved right from the start of the campaign.
Looking to the future, the report highlights the continuing urgency of the campaign and the plight of the UK’s 4.4 million low paid workers. Nearly two thirds of workers paid below the real Living Wage (59 per cent) are regularly skipping meals or turning off their heating due to financial reasons, have fallen behind on bills, or taken out pay-day loans to cover essentials.
Attention is also paid to the campaign’s new frontiers: tackling the UK’s culture of insecure work that sees 4.2 million workers struggling with, for instance, volatile pay or hours; as well as inadequate pension saving which leaves 80 per cent of workers facing the risk of poverty in retirement.
Whilst these are recent focuses for the movement, there are already nearly 300 Living Hours Employers providing their workers with the secure and stable hours they need to plan their lives, and over 100 Living Pension Employers supporting their workers save enough for a decent retirement.
Graham Griffiths, Director of the Living Wage Foundation, said: "We’re delighted to publish this report showing how the Living Wage movement has reshaped what fair pay looks like in the UK over the last 25 years. What began as a hopeful idea, driven by low-paid workers in East London organising for decent pay, has grown into one of the most successful civil society campaigns of the 21st century.
"Today, the real Living Wage is widely recognised as a standard for good work. More than 16,000 employers choose to go further than the legal minimum, delivering pay rises for nearly half a million low paid workers each year and putting over £4.1bn back into their pockets since the campaign began.
"We're proud of how far the movement has come and everything we have achieved together. But there is still so much work to be done. Millions of workers are still struggling on low pay and insecure hours, and many more can’t look forward to a decent standard of living in retirement. So this report also looks to the future, setting out a clear vision: work that works for everyone.”
Matthew Bolton, Chief Executive and Lead Organiser of Citizens UK, said: "The Living Wage movement is one of the most successful civil society movements of the 21st century, and it grew from a hopeful meeting of people, like you and I, who decided to organise around low pay in their communities. This remains at the heart of the movement - workers from all walks of life coming together to campaign for fair wages that give them a decent standard of living.
"Behind the numbers in this report are the real, tangible differences it has made to people's lives: families no longer having to struggle to afford their groceries, parents being able to buy new school uniforms for their children at the start of the school year, and the peace of mind that comes from being able to pay bills on time.
"As we mark the 25th anniversary of the movement, we want to celebrate everything we've achieved together - but our work is far from over. There's still so many people across the country who are struggling because of low pay and insecure hours, but it doesn't have to be this way. Together with communities, government and businesses, we'll keep building a future where every worker can earn a real Living Wage, work secure hours, and live with dignity."
Leading global law firm Herbert Smith Freehills Kramer, an early adopter of the real Living Wage having accredited in 2012, and among the first employers to achieve Living Pension accreditation, was lead sponsor of the report. Samantha Brown, Managing Partner, Employment, Pensions & Incentives, UK & EMEA, Herbert Smith Freehills Kramer, said: "We congratulate the Living Wage Foundation on this significant milestone. The Foundation has worked tirelessly to improve economic stability and wellbeing for workers and communities across the UK for the last 25 years. We are proud of our 14-year partnership and remain committed to building on this progress to help ensure lasting change."