Powerful campaign secures Living Wage

You are:

»
News and events »
PCS Comment

20 August 2012

A powerful campaign by PCS members and activists at Olympics sponsor Atos led to a significant Living Wage pay offer. PCS research officer Enrico Tortolano looks at the details

The threat of a strike coupled with a powerful campaign directed at Olympic sponsor Atos IT and Healthcare forced management into talks at ACAS. Faced with increasing member anger and public support the company agreed to become a Living Wage employer and also pay cash sums to members.

The London Living Wage is currently £8.30 an hour, while the UK Living Wage for outside of London is currently £7.20 an hour. PCS believes that as a very minimum, all members should have a right to at least the living wage.

Atos management also agreed to pay 2% next year over and above any pay offer to help progression and is looking at setting up a new, fairer appraisal system. This of course will be subject to a members' ballot in the coming weeks.

PCS is fighting to lift all members above the Living Wage, which is set independently, every year. It is calculated according to cost of living and gives the minimum pay rate required for a worker to provide their family with the essentials of life.

The widening wages gap has been worsened by cuts in benefits and tax credits as low incomes fail to keep pace with cost of living increases, especially exorbitant energy bills and increased travel costs. PCS believes we need to urgently increase pay for the 99% otherwise we are going to be characterised by a profound and damaging economic segregation.

Join PCS or recruit a non-member and help fight for the Living Wage and an end to pay austerity.

Read more about pay at pcs.org.uk/payblog

Public and Commercial Services Union