Conservative campaigner, Ross Archer, has launched a new campaign calling on Labour-run Lewisham Council to introduce a Living Wage Incentive Scheme similar to the ones in Greenwich and Brent. The scheme would use powers granted to the Council in the 2011 Localism Act to give a business rate discount to local employers who pay their staff the London living wage which is currently £9.15 per hour.
Earlier this year Greenwich Council adopted an incentive scheme which was proposed by Conservative councillor Matt Hartley, it is hoped that Lewisham Council will also see the benefits of encouraging more employers to pay the living wage which has been championed by Mayor of London, Boris Johnson. Since 2012 Lewisham Council has been an accredited living wage employer, which means it pays its own employees a living wage .However, Ross is calling on the council to introduce a policy that would encourage business leaders in the borough to also pay their staff the living wage.
Ross said “Lewisham Council has lead by example in being an accredited living wage employer but now it’s time to encourage local employers to follow suit by introducing a living wage incentive scheme to the borough. Local councils such as Lewisham now get to set their local business rates so they can reward local living wage employers with a discount. Similar schemes have worked elsewhere in London and Lewisham should do the same”.
You can sign the campaign pettition by clicking on this link: https://www.change.org/p/introduce-a-lewisham-living-wage-incentive-scheme