Central London parish celebrates Living Wage commitment

St Joseph's Catholic Church, close to the Barbican, has been accredited as a Living Wage Employer employer by the Living Wage Foundation - on the eve of Living Wage Week 2016.

The Living Wage Commitment means that those working at St Joseph's, regardless of whether they are permanent, full-time or part-time employees, or contracted through other agencies, receive a minimum hourly wage of £9.40, significantly higher than the national minimum wage of £6.70 or the new minimum wage premium for over 25s of £7.20 per hour, introduced by the Government in April 2016.

The Living Wage is an hourly rate set independently and updated annually, calculated according to the basic cost of living, using the UK's 'Minimum Income Standard'. It reflects a social consensus about what people need to make ends meet. Employers choose to pay the Living Wage on a voluntary basis.

Martin Pendergast, St. Joseph's Pastoral Council Secretary, said: We're delighted to have this accreditation at the local level because Westminster Diocese, of which this parish is a part, was the first Catholic Diocese in England & Wales to become a Living Wage Employer. St. Joseph, to whom our parish is dedicated, is thought of as the patron saint of all workers and we're a community that is strongly committed to justice for all, including just wages.
Living Wage Foundation Director, Katherine Chapman said: We are delighted to welcome St. Joseph's Parish to the Living Wage movement as an accredited employer. They join over 2,600 national and local employers who want to reward a hard day's work with a fair day's pay. Clinging to the minimum wage is not good for business. Workers and customers expect better than that.

Living Wage Action - to mark the end of Living Wage Week 2016 (30 October-6 November), people from St Joseph's will undertake a Living Wage Walk on Saturday, 5 November, 2 -2.30pm. The Living Wage Walk will honour London EC1 institutions, including Linklaters, Slaughter & May, the Barbican, Prior Weston School, and Newpark Childcare, by stopping at these local venues for a period of prayer and reflection. Joining with members of the Carmel-in-the-City group which meets monthly at St. Joseph's, this action of solidarity and spirituality also marks the close of the 2016 Year of Mercy, called for by Pope Francis, urging Catholics to commit to acts of mercy, justice, and the common good.

Read more about St Joseph's here: www.stjosephsbunhillrow.co.uk