Employment

Andy Burnham to turn Greater Manchester into first living wage city region

The Manchester Mayor has formed an action group in the city region to pay all workers the real living wage by the end of the decade

Andy Burnham on a real living wage

Andy Burnham wants to give all Greater Manchester workers a real living wage by the end of the decade. Image credit: NHS Confederation / Flickr

Andy Burnham has used the first week since his re-election as Manchester Mayor to unveil his plan to turn Greater Manchester into the first city region in the UK which pays the real living wage.

Burnham has formed a Living Wage City-Region action group to work towards the goal of ensuring all workers in the city will be paid a real living wage by the end of the decade. The real living wage is calculated by the Living Wage Foundation based on the cost of living and currently stands at £9.50 an hour across the UK and £10.85 in London.

This is what levelling-up looks likeManchester Mayor Andy Burnham

“The proposals we will be bringing forward will be about creating better jobs for our residents, but also about supporting our businesses to invest in people and grow in a positive and sustainable way,” said Burnham. “Paying a real living wage isn’t just the right thing to do for workers – it’s the right thing for businesses too.

“People already in low-paying jobs with unpredictable hours were left exposed to the worst effects of the pandemic, on their health and on their livelihoods. Now, Greater Manchester is calling time on insecure and low-paid jobs.

“This is the first step towards making sure everyone working in Greater Manchester has the dignity of decent work, paid a real living wage for real living hours. This is what levelling-up looks like.”

Announcing the plans, Burnham said currently around one in five jobs in Greater Manchester – roughly 200,000 – pay less than the real living wage. Women are disproportionately affected by the pay disparity, accounting for almost 60 per cent of the jobs earning less than the real living wage.

Black workers and Asian workers are more likely to find themselves in lower paying jobs too, accounting for almost 40 per cent and 35 per cent of jobs respectively compared to 23 per cent for White workers.

Article continues below

Current vacancies...

Search jobs

The action group held its first meeting on May 12, bringing Burnham together with businesses, unions, local authorities, faith groups and voluntary and charitable organisations. 

The group is chaired by Lou Cordwell, chair of the Greater Manchester Local Enterprise Partnership.

Cordwell added: “Businesses in Greater Manchester increasingly recognise that they have a social responsibility, beyond simply making a profit. By paying a real living wage they can make a genuine and positive impact on their community.”

The Living Wage Foundation (LWF) has hailed Burnham’s announcement. LWF director Laura Gardiner said: “This is a welcome development and an important step in delivering better paid, secure, real living Wage jobs throughout Greater Manchester. 

“If we’re to rebuild and recover from this crisis we’ll need more of our boroughs, towns, cities and regions focusing on delivering the stability and dignity that comes through living wage jobs.”

Support the Big Issue

For over 30 years, the Big Issue has been committed to ending poverty in the UK. In 2024, our work is needed more than ever. Find out how you can support the Big Issue today.
Vendor martin Hawes

Recommended for you

View all
'Job apocalypse': Up to 8 million Brits risk losing their jobs to AI, government warned
Employment

'Job apocalypse': Up to 8 million Brits risk losing their jobs to AI, government warned

I was a drunk and homeless at 19. Volunteering helped me get my life back
Volunteering

I was a drunk and homeless at 19. Volunteering helped me get my life back

'I skip meals to save money': Life on social care frontline is leading to a support worker exodus
Image of carer holding elderly person's hand
Social care

'I skip meals to save money': Life on social care frontline is leading to a support worker exodus

'All my earnings go on rent:' Millions of women in UK struggling to make ends meet in low-paid jobs
People on legacy benefits are being pushed into poverty
employment

'All my earnings go on rent:' Millions of women in UK struggling to make ends meet in low-paid jobs

Most Popular

Read All
Renters pay their landlords' buy-to-let mortgages, so they should get a share of the profits
Renters: A mortgage lender's window advertising buy-to-let products
1.

Renters pay their landlords' buy-to-let mortgages, so they should get a share of the profits

Exclusive: Disabled people are 'set up to fail' by the DWP in target-driven disability benefits system, whistleblowers reveal
Pound coins on a piece of paper with disability living allowancve
2.

Exclusive: Disabled people are 'set up to fail' by the DWP in target-driven disability benefits system, whistleblowers reveal

Here's when UK households to start receiving last cost of living payments
next dwp cost of living payment 2023
3.

Here's when UK households to start receiving last cost of living payments

Strike dates 2023: From train drivers to NHS doctors, here are the dates to know
4.

Strike dates 2023: From train drivers to NHS doctors, here are the dates to know