OLYMPIC GAMES MUST SECURE A LIVING WAGE FOR ALL LONDONERS

9.20.52am BST (GMT +0100) Tue 3rd Apr 2007

Commenting on the announcement of a new Living Wage for London at £7.20, Liberal Democrat Spokesperson for Economic Development on the London Assembly, Dee Doocey, said:

"The Mayor is right that low-paid Londoners should earn a Living Wage, but this announcement is just hot air unless he can make it happen for the biggest employment project about to hit the capital.

'The Mayor and Seb Coe signed an 'Ethical contract' with London Citizens before winning the Olympics, promising a Living Wage for everyone involved. Yet to date, no Living Wage has been included in the contracts allocated and Seb Coe told the London Assembly that "any of the issues about a living wage is a consideration, not a condition". This is of great concern because LOCOG will be letting contracts for all the traditionally low-paid jobs such as catering and cleaning.

'It is also ironic that a matter of weeks after happily taking a £9m grant from the London Development Agency to built a new extension, Tate Modern cannot be bothered to ensure that cleaning and catering staff working in its galleries are paid a Living Wage.

'One in seven London employees are living on poverty wages. Now Gordon Brown has abolished the 10% tax rate, the poor are set to get poorer. Someone earning the new London Living wage of £7.20 will get just £5.74 an hour after tax and National Insurance have been deducted and be put in the position of having to claim absurdly complicated tax credits. The Olympic bid promised thousands of extra jobs for Londoners. These jobs must be properly paid if they are to leave a lasting legacy of employment."