Barnet’s Labour councillors have submitted a member’s item to the next Adults & Safeguarding Committee (15 March) calling for around 200 former Fremantle care workers now employed by The Barnet Group (TBG) – an organisation wholly owned by Barnet Council – to be paid at least London’s Living Wage.

The member’s item follows Barnet Labour’s alternative budget last year which set aside the funding for this but was not supported by the Barnet Conservatives and was therefore unsuccessful.

All other care workers employed by The Barnet Group are paid at least London’s Living Wage – the TBGs pay policy. Despite calls from the Labour Group and Trade Unions, the pay for the Fremantle workers has not been increased in line with The Barnet Group’s pay policy.

Earlier this month, the Labour Group launched a new petition calling on the Government to bring forward long overdue proposals to adequately fund adults’ social care which would ensure that all care workers in the Capital are paid at least the London Living Wage of £10.85 per hour – the minimum income standard for London.

The London Living Wage is the minimum needed to cover the basics of living in the Capital and is calculated each year by the independent Resolution Foundation and overseen by the Living Wage Commission.

Barnet Labour’s Adults’ & Safeguarding spokesperson, Cllr Paul Edwards said: “The staff caring for our elderly and disabled residents and putting themselves at increased risk of contracting Covid to do so, should be paid enough to afford the basics to live in London.

“It is time the Council made this a priority. I call on the Barnet Conservatives to commit to paying the former Fremantle workers at least London’s Living Wage. We are asking them to put it in their forthcoming budget and implement it straight away. ”

 

Ends.

 

Notes:

  1. The text of Cllr Edward’s Member’s Item:

Adults & Safeguarding Committee: 15 March 2021

Member’s Item: Cllr Paul Edwards

Paying former Fremantle workers at least London’s Living Wage

It’s been a while since the Committee looked at the affordability of paying at least London’s Living Wage (LLW) to the former Fremantle workers.

All other care workers employed by Your Choice Barnet (YCB) and The Barnet Group (TBG) are already paid at least London’s Living Wage, and it is TBG policy to pay all staff at least LLW.

The Covid-19 pandemic has highlighted once again the need to pay the former Fremantle care workers at least the London Living Wage.

I ask that the Committee, Barnet Council and The Barnet Group give a commitment to ensure Barnet’s former Fremantle workers are paid at least LLW, with the funding to be allocated in the forthcoming budget for implementation in 2021/22.

  1. A link to the petition can be found here: https://www.barnetlabour.org.uk/2021/02/05/fully-fund-adults-social-care-pay-all-care-workers-at-least-the-real-living-wage-londons-living-wage/
  2. For details of LLW:
    https://www.livingwage.org.uk/calculation
    https://www.livingwage.org.uk/news/real-living-wage-care-workers
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