Reducing inequality and a living wage for all
Last weekend was the Green Party's Spring Conference in Finchley. I'm delighted to report that, amongst the numerous highlights of the weekend, a Green Party policy motion was passed which requires companies to pay their highest-paid employee no more than 10 times the wage of their lowest-paid employee. Soon after this motion was passed, I took part in a panel discussion on low pay.
I was joined on the panel by Rys Farthing from the Child Poverty Action Group and Neil Jameson of London Citizens, in what turned out to be a very interesting and productive session.
Rys discussed the reductive philosophy of the "work first" movement, which means many people are forced off benefits and into inappropriate jobs with unsociable hours, which leave them no better off financially and often unable to care properly for their children. Neil focussed on the way in which ever-widening gap between rich and poor causes "a destruction of civic virtue."
I went on to discuss the importance of implementing a carefully calculated Living Wage for all workers and that paying workers higher wages reaps its rewards for employers as well as employees. Unsurprisingly, research shows that people who are paid a reasonable wage are more motivated and thus work harder and are less likely to leave their jobs.
A more equal society really is a happier, more productive society. Greens are campaigning wherever they can to secure a Living Wage for as many workers as possible. In the longer term, a Green government would also bring with it 1 million green jobs.
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Reply #1 on : Tue March 09, 2010, 16:13:16