In October 2011 Councillor Bill Randall formed the Brighton and Hove Living Wage Commission, chaired by Julia Chanteray, the President of the Brighton & Hove Chamber of Commerce.
The Commission met for six months, examining how paying the Living Wage could potentially affect local businesses and employees and how it might alleviate poverty in the city.
In February 2012, Brighton Chamber held a Big Debate to enable the city’s businesses to voice their views directly and, when it came to the vote, the Living Wage received an overwhelming business endorsement.
In April 2012, the city’s Living Wage Commission announced that a business-led, two-year campaign for a Living Wage would be spearheaded by Brighton Chamber, with the goal of making Brighton and Hove a great example of how the Living Wage can become the normal and accepted minimum level of payment for all employers in the city.
We are encouraging local businesses to voluntarily commit to paying their employees the Living Wage. Businesses can sign up to show their commitment and can then display a Brighton & Hove Living Wage logo on their premises or marketing material.
October 2011
Former Leader of the Council, Councillor Bill Randall forms Brighton & Hove Living Wage Commission, chaired by Julia Chanteray, the President of the Brighton & Hove Chamber of Commerce. The Commission meets for six months, examining how paying the Living Wage could potentially affect local businesses and employees and how it might alleviate poverty in the city
The Living Wage hourly rate in UK currently stands at £7.20 per hour. The figure is revised annually to account for inflation. In comparison, the National Minimum Wage is £6.08 per hour.
February 2012
Brighton Chamber holds a Big Debate to enable city’s businesses to voice their views and the Living Wage receives overwhelming business endorsement
April 2012
Living Wage Commission announces a business-led two-year campaign for a Living Wage will be spearheaded by the Brighton Chamber with the goal of making Brighton & Hove a great example of how the Living Wage can be a normal and accepted minimum level of payment for all employers
November 2012
The Brighton & Hove Living Wage Campaign begins, managed by the Brighton Chamber supported by Brighton & Hove City Council
Over 30 businesses signed up during the period of the initial £7.20 rate. This includes companies small and large – such as Sussex Police, Brighton & Hove Bus Company, the CVSF and Brighton Council
The first UK wide celebration of the Living Wage and Living Wage employers takes place 4th-10th November
The Living Wage hourly rate in UK is announced during Living Wage Week 2012 and is set at £7.45
January 2013
Living Wage website launched http://livingwagebrighton.co.uk
June 2013
As of June 1st there are 65 businesses signed up
September 2013
The Argus runs online ballot asking “Is Brighton & Hove City Council right to recommend contractors pay their staff a living wage” – 74% of respondents replied “YES”
November 2013
Living Wage Week 2013 takes place 3rd – 9th November
The Living Wage hourly rate in UK is announced during Living Wage Week and is set at £7.65
Brighton Chamber celebrate the recruitment of over 100 local businesses supporting the Living Wage Campaign with an event in the offices of Mayo Wynne Baxter with guest speaker Caroline Lucas MP attending
December 2013
Review of the Brighton & Hove Living Wage Campaign conducted
January 2014
Info graphic made from the review to share success of the campaign so far
February 2014
Brighton & Hove Living Wage Campaign links up with Digital Tactics to launch an interactive Living Wage business map for the city
April 2014
UNISON agree to support the campaign and it is extended for a third year
July 2014
Summer campaign video created as the Brighton & Hove Living Wage Campaign moves to more of a digital campaign
October 2014
Over 150 businesses, charities, social enterprises and public sector organisations have signed up to the campaign
November 2014
Living Wage Week 2014 takes place 2nd – 8th November
35 businesses sign up to the campaign in the run up to and during Living Wage Week
The Living Wage Campaign receives great press and PR across the city, appearing in The Argus, The Brighton & Hove Independent and on Radio Reverb, Latest TV
Over 170 businesses, social enterprises and public sector organisations have signed up to the campaign at this point
A small group in Lewes enlist the help of the Brighton & Hove Living Wage Campaign to promote the Living Wage to local shops and businesses
December 2014
Photographs of Living Wage employers taken by Simon Callaghan
January 2015
Lincoln Council get in touch to find out how the Brighton & Hove Living Wage Campaign started and how it’s been so successful in order to start local campaign
February 2015
Madison Solutions redesign the website, making it more responsive and easier to use www.livingwagebrighton.co.uk
March 2015
Brighton Chamber host a ‘Living Wage’ themed breakfast event, with three Living Wage employers sharing their experiences
It is announced that over 200 local businesses have signed up to the Brighton & Hove Living Wage Campaign with a 5 page spread in the Brighton & Hove Independent
April 2015
UNISON agree to continue supporting the campaign and it is extended for a fourth year
May 2015
Meet with the Living Wage Foundation to discuss further ways of working together
The Lewes Living Wage Campaign grows, setting up a website and Twitter account. Richard Wolfstrome, the designer who created the Brighton & Hove Living Wage logo, adapts the design for Lewes
Richard Wolfstrome also creates a new logo for supporters of the Brighton & Hove Living Wage Campaign
Brighton & Hove Living Wage Campaign is promoted at the Let’s Do Business show
June 2015
Professor of Employment Relations at Cardiff Business School, Edmund Heery, gets in touch asking for help with research looking at the role of businesses in shaping the world of work and the Living Wage
Brighton Journalist Works graduate spends a week doing work experience with Brighton Chamber, meeting and interviewing Living Wage employers
July 2015
Chancellor of the Exchequer George Osborne announces a new compulsory ‘National Living Wage’ in the 2015 Budget, starting next April at £7.20 per hour and applying only to those over the age of 25. Living Wage campaigners feel that this is simply an increase of the Minimum Wage, not a Living Wage, and will continue to encourage businesses to sign up to pay their staff at least £7.85 in the UK and £9.15 in London
Ask businesses that have signed up to the Brighton & Hove Living Wage Campaign to fill in a survey about their experiences, with 105 employers completing it
Shortlisted for the Brighton and Hove Business Awards 2015 for the Greatest Contribution to the Community
Review of the Brighton & Hove Living Wage Campaign conducted
Living Wage employer and supporters of the campaign Lollipop Print kindly print us a new batch of Living Wage stickers for businesses to display in their office or shop front
August 2015
Info graphic made from the review and survey results to share success of the campaign so far
Living Wage employer and Chamber board member Andy Winter appears on Latest TV talking about the Living Wage and why it is so important to get behind it in Brighton
Brighton Chamber intern Mike Gray meets and creates videos with some of our Living Wage employers; Fin and Farm, R&M Scaffolding and Meerkat Works
Attend a Green Business reception with Natalie Bennett, Leader of the Green Party, to talk about sustainable business and the Living Wage
September 2015
Attend the Brighton and Hove Business Awards
October 2015
Brighton & Hove Living Wage Campaign is promoted at the Brighton Summit
The Brighton & Hove Fairness Commission gets in touch asking for the review and survey results to include in the evidence pack for their next meeting
Prepare for the annual Living Wage Week 2015, which will take place from 1st – 7th November
This table is for reference only and based on a 37.5 hour working week. Created from Hourly Wage Tax Calculator November 2015.
| Government's 'National Living Wage' £7.83 | Living Wage £9.00 | Living Wage (London) £10.55 | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Gross | Take Home | Gross | Take Home | Gross | Take Home | |
| Daily (8 hours) | £62.64 | £56.38 | £72.00 | £64.81 | £84.40 | £75.97 |
| Weekly (5 days) | £313.20 | £281.90 | £360.00 | £324.05 | £422.00 | £379.85 |
| Monthly | £1,357.20 | £1,221.57 | £1,560.00 | £1,404.22 | £1,828.67 | £1,646.02 |
| Annual | £16,286.40 | £14,658.80 | £18,720.00 | £16,850.60 | £21,944.00 | £19,752.20 |
The Living Wage campaign was first launched in 2001 by London Citizens (now known as Citizens UK) in response to the National Minimum Wage being considered too low for people to live on. Members found that despite working two minimum wage jobs, they were struggling to make ends meet and were left with little time for family and community life. They felt that wages should reflect the true cost of living.
Following a series of successful Living Wage campaigns, the Greater London Authority created the Living Wage Unit in 2005 to calculate the London Living Wage. An increasing number of employers decided to pay the Living Wage in London and people around the UK started to take an interest. Local campaigns emerged and the Centre for Research in Social Policy (CRSP), funded by the Joseph Rowntree Foundation, began calculating a UK wide Minimum Income Standard (MIS).
The MIS aims to define an adequate income, based on what members of the public think is enough money to live on to maintain a socially-acceptable quality of life. The figures generated are used to calculate the Living Wage outside of London.
In 2011 Citizens UK launched the Living Wage Foundation and Living Wage Employer mark. Since 2001 the campaign has impacted tens of thousands of employees and put over £210 million into the pockets of some of the lowest paid workers in the UK.
For more information on the Living Wage Foundation click here.
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