Press Release

MPs urged to back living wage for fire station cleaners
13-6-2007   355

The attempt to block a decent level of pay for London’s fire station cleaners – which will come to a head at next week’s full fire authority meeting – was taken to Parliament today as the Prime Minister stepped in to back the living wage, and the Mayor of London urged the official Opposition to add their support.

Raising the matter with Tony Blair during Prime Minister’s Questions today, Dawn Butler MP described as ‘indefensible’ the votes of Brian Coleman AM (Con, Barnet and Camden), Bob Blackman AM (Con, Brent and Harrow) and Cllr Maurice Heaster (Con, LB Wandsworth) against paying fire station cleaners a minimum of £7.20 an hour. Their vote at the finance committee of the fire authority led to deadlock and now means the full fire authority will decide the issue on 21st June.

Yesterday one of the committee members who voted against paying fire station cleaners £7.20 an hour, Brian Coleman AM, reiterated his opposition to fair pay for saying, ‘Paying London Fire Station cleaners the London Living wage of £7.20, as Val Shawcross has suggested, is just ridiculous.’

Responding, Prime Minister Tony Blair said: ‘It is excellent that London is focused on paying the Living Wage to the cleaners. I very hope much hope if right honourable gentleman [the Leader of the Opposition] can exert a bit of control over his party they can change their decision.’

Ken Livingstone’s letter to Caroline Spelman MP, shadow Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, today states that the votes of three members of the finance committee against paying the living wage were, ‘An unnecessary and indefensible attack on London's low-paid workers. Last year, the London fire authority had a £16 million underspend and paying the living wage would cost £700,000. As the vote on Monday was evenly split, this issue will now be referred to the full board meeting of LFEPA on 21st June. I would be grateful if the official Opposition in Parliament could set out clearly a policy in favour of paying the living wage to these cleaners. I look forward to receiving your assurances on this.’

Ken Livingstone said:

“It’s decision time for all those who say they support tackling poverty and low wages in London because we now have a London-wide public service facing a vote on the issue in a matter of days.

‘There is a clear choice between those who agree with the Vice Chair of the London Assembly, Brian Coleman AM, that £7.20 an hour is ‘ridiculous’, and those who support a decent London Living Wage. Warm words are not enough.

‘The comments of Dawn Butler and Tony Blair in the House of Commons today show that there is momentum to get these cleaners onto a living wage.

‘The challenge of low pay means we need to reject the idea that a decent wage is “ridiculous” and I hope that Parliamentarians like Caroline Spelman MP will intervene before next week’s fire authority meeting to make this clear."
The pressure for a living wage for fire station cleaners increased today when the London Assembly adopted a motion, which

‘urges members of the full LFEPA board to back the payment of the living wage when this matter is discussed at their meeting on 21st June.

Ends.

Notes to Editors

1. The Mayor’s letter to Caroline Spelman MP:
Dear Caroline,
On Monday 11th June, LFEPA's Finance, Procurement and Property Committee were split over the issue of whether the fire authority’s cleaners should be paid the London Living Wage.  As you know, this wage has been set to reflect the high cost of living in London. Three members of the committee voted in support of paying the Living Wage to contract cleaners but the three Conservative members, Brian Coleman AM, Bob Blackman AM and Cllr Maurice Heaster, saw fit to vote against.  In my view this is an unnecessary and indefensible attack on London's low-paid workers.  Last year, the London fire authority had a £16 million underspend and paying the living wage would cost £700,000.
As the vote on Monday was evenly split, this issue will now be referred to the full board meeting of LFEPA on 21st June.  I would be grateful if the official Opposition in Parilament could set out clearly a policy in favour of paying the living wage to these cleaners so that there can no doubt that this is the view of the Conservatives.
I look forward to receiving your assurances on this.
Yours sincerely,
Ken Livingstone
Mayor of London

Cc: Rt Hon David Cameron MP
George Osborne MP
Phil Hammond MP

2. Prime Ministers Questions (13th June 2007):
Dawn Butler MP said,
‘Is my right honourable friend aware of the good work of trade unions, churches and the mayor of London is doing to secure a London living wage for all new procurement contracts Yesterday an indefensible decision was made to try and block the London Living wage being paid for cleaners of our fire stations by the Tory Vice Chair. ‘It just goes to show that no matter what the leader of the opposition says they are the same old Tories.
The Prime Minister said,
‘It seems a very reasonable comment to me. First of all let me point out that the minimum wage has brought benefit millions of low paid workers. It particularly helps women. It is excellent that London is focused on paying the Living Wage to the cleaners. I very hope much hope if right honourable gentleman can exert a bit of control over his party, they can change their decision.’

3. London Assembly motion, which was passed today:
‘This Assembly notes the Mayor’s aim that all staff employed by the GLA group, including those working for private companies carrying out contract work for the GLA and its functional bodies, should receive as a minimum the London Living Wage.
‘This Assembly also notes the decision of Conservative members of the London Fire and Emergency Planning Authority (LFEPA) to vote against paying the London Living Wage to cleaners contracted to LFEPA at a recent meeting of the Fire Authority's Finance Committee; condemns the Conservatives' shameful attempt to deny a decent standard of living to low-paid workers in the capital; and urges members of the full LFEPA board to back the payment of the Living Wage when this matter is discussed at their meeting on 21st June.
Proposed: Jennette Arnold
Seconded: Joanne McCartney

4. Brian Coleman AM on the Living Wage:
More: http://www.mayorwatch.co.uk/index.php

5. Dawn Butlers Early Day Motion tabled this on Monday 11th June:
More: http://edmi.parliament.uk/EDMi/EDMDetails.aspx?EDMID=33475&SESSION=885

6. The issue will now be discussed at the full LFEPA meeting on 21st June. More: http://www.london-fire.gov.uk/lfepa/details.asp?id=280

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MPs condemn 'shameful attempt' by fire authority finance committee to undermine Living Wage
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