PARLIAMENTARY EARLY DAY MOTION
JUST PAY! CAMPAIGN FOR LIVING WAGES IN THE FTSE 100 (3 July 2011)

That this House notes with concern that an estimated 3.5 million adults over 22 years are paid less than 7per hour; further notes that in 2008-09, over half of all children in poverty in the UK had at least one parent in work; further notes that low pay is closely associated with other social disadvantages including poor health, substandard housing and personal debt; welcomes the recently-announced 2011 living wage rates of 8.30 per hour in London and 7.20 per hour outside London; believes that increasing the wages of the low-paid makes good business sense as it reduces staff turnover and sickness-related absenteeism, whilst also benefiting the wider economy by boosting consumer spending and reducing the public cost of benefits and tax credits; therefore supports FairPensions' JustPay! campaign to encourage FTSE 100 companies to pay living wages to all UK staff and on-site contractors; congratulates those companies who have already responded to the campaign by committing to become living wage employers; and calls on other FTSE 100 companies to follow suit.

Sponsored by:
Jon Cruddas (Labour)