LIVING WAGE CAMPAIGNS LAUNCH ACROSS THE COUNTRY

“It’s really inspiring to see so many clubs taking up the Living Wage campaign and making it their own. Every day we hear about another action, training day, petition or event launching at a different Labour Club. I’m proud to lead an organisation with a priority campaign chosen, led and delivered by our members.”
Olivia Bailey, Labour Students National Chair

Since the launch of Labour Students campaign for the Living Wage during the summer, local campaigns have sprung up across the country. From Scotland with Edinburgh University Labour Students ‘Winning the Living Wage’ event, to the South where Kent Labour Students ran a ‘Day of Action’, and to Wales where Swansea Labour Students have passed policy in their student union.

At Cambridge University Labour Club they put in Freedom of Information (FOI) requests to each college to discover how many pay their staff below the Living Wage. They’ve been tweeting the results as they come in - follow them @CULU or search #LivingWage. One of the worst offenders at Cambridge is Selwyn College where Wes Streeting, Chief Executive of the Helena Kennedy Foundation and former Labour Students NUS President, studied. At Selwyn 28 permanent contract and 13 casual workers are paid less than Living Wage. Wes has pledged to rally alumni to support the campaign.

There are too many actions happening to list them all, at Birmingham, Leeds Met, Hull, Bangor, Bristol, Leicester, the list goes on and on! Tell us about your local actions at www.labourstudents.org.uk/livingwage.

Labour Students National Officers have been continuing to work with Movement for Change and UNISON to support clubs and provide resources (all available at www.labourstudents.org.uk/livingwage). UCLan Labour Club recently hosted a Living Wage training event with Movement for Change and the trainers from Movement for Change are keen to go to other regions to support clubs developing their local Living Wage campaigns.

More recently, Labour Students met with FairPensions; their “JustPay!” campaign aims to permanently embed Living Wage standards in the UK's private sector, beginning with the biggest companies on the London Stock Exchange, namely the FTSE 100.

At Labour Party Conference Labour Students hosted a fringe on “Organising for a Living Wage” with Movement for Change and UNISON. The fringe took a different approach to the traditional conference panel debate, guests first discussed the Living Wage with invited speakers – Tessa Jowell MP (Shadow Cabinet Office & Olympics), Dan Jarvis MP, Ian Murray MP, Gregg McClymont MP, Cllr Gordon Matheson (Leader, Glasgow City Council), Denise Castro (Living Wage campaigner), Joel Bodmer (UNISON), Blair McDougal (Director, Movement for Change); and then planned Living Wage campaigns to take back to their communities after conference.

Finally, David Miliband’s university tour has started with his first trip taking him to the University of Kent. David joined Kent Labour Students, Canterbury CLP and the newly formed Canterbury Christ Church University Labour Students out on the doorstep in Northgate Ward before speaking at the University in a Q&A with the Politics and International Relations Department. He highlighted Kent Labour Students Living Wage campaign as an example of how we can change the Labour Party, through community organising, to be a more outward looking party that engages with our communities. He also met with Kent and CCCU Labour Students in a private reception where the club were fundraising for their Living Wage campaign.

To win a Living Wage at universities and colleges across the UK we must organise locally so this is a campaign where Labour Clubs can really take the lead and shape the campaign to fit local circumstances. Please get in touch to let us know what you’re planning locally or how we can support you to win a Living Wage and end poverty pay on your campus.

www.labourstudents.org.uk/livingwage