<BR><BR><B><I>nicholas wall <nctwall@hotmail.com></I></B> wrote: <BLOCKQUOTE class=replbq style="PADDING-LEFT: 5px; MARGIN-LEFT: 5px; BORDER-LEFT: #1010ff 2px solid">From: "nicholas wall" <nctwall@hotmail.com><BR>To: livingwage2007@googlemail.com<BR>Subject: Living wage petition<BR>Date: Mon, 19 Mar 2007 11:38:28 +0000<BR><BR>Hi<BR><BR>I have started a petition on the 10 Downing Street website in support of a <BR>living wage :<BR><BR>http://petitions.pm.gov.uk/living-wage-2007/<BR><BR>We the undersigned petition the Prime Minister to take steps to replace the <BR>national minimum wage with a living wage based on the level of pay and <BR>conditions that enables a full-time worker to make ends meet for themselves <BR>and their family. Official regional living wage figures should be announced <BR>such as the one given by Mayor Livingstone for London (currently £7.05 an <BR>hour).<BR><BR>Why a living wage ?<BR><BR>The national minimum wage does not allow many
workers to escape poverty. <BR>This is because it's set at an arbitary level determined by economists and <BR>politicians who are often influenced by short term political reasons. In the <BR>UK 4¼ million adults aged 22 to retirement were paid less than £6.50 per <BR>hour in 2006. Two thirds of these were women and a half were part-time <BR>workers. A living wage could ensure that no workers receive poverty pay or <BR>have to rely on benefits. For further information, read the details beneath <BR>the petition or visit the website links below.<BR><BR>Why now ?<BR><BR>Following pressure from campaigners, London mayor Ken Livingstone has given <BR>his full backing to a living wage in London. Figures for the London living <BR>wage are set and published, and a living wage implementation unit has been <BR>set up in City Hall. The living wage has been built into procurement <BR>agreements for the 2012 London Olympics. It has already led to some historic <BR>victories for low paid
workers. After Unison organised the contracted <BR>cleaning staff in five east London hospitals, a deal was thrashed out which <BR>has brought the wages of contracted out cleaners from below £5 in 2003 to at <BR>least £7.48 per hour with improved sick pay and holiday pay.<BR><BR>My petition calls for the initiative in London to be duplicated in other <BR>regions around the country, and calls on people to support groups of workers <BR>who are already involved in struggles to secure a living wage.<BR><BR>If you agree with the petition, please show your support politically by <BR>clicking on the link and filling in your personal details - it only takes a <BR>minute to complete - and by encouraging your friends, work colleagues or <BR>e-mail networks to sign up also.<BR><BR>Thanks for your time<BR>Nick Wall<BR><BR>London campaign : http://www.livingwage.org.uk/<BR><BR>TGWU's Justice for Cleaners campaign
<BR>http://www.tgwu.org.uk/Templates/Campaign.asp?Action=Display&NodeID=92473&int1stParentNodeID=42437&int2ndParentNodeID=42467<BR><BR>Facts about poverty in the UK : <BR>http://www.poverty.org.uk/summary/key%20facts.shtml<BR><BR>_________________________________________________________________<BR>MSN Hotmail is evolving - check out the new Windows Live Mail. <BR>http://ideas.live.co.uk/<BR><BR></BLOCKQUOTE><BR><p> 
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