NEWS
New Chairman for the BCC
After three years in the post, Doug Cooke, has formally stepped down as Chairman of the BCC with Deputy Chairman, Simon Hollingbery, taking up the reins.
At the BCC AGM this week Doug Cooke handed the chairman’s reins over to Deputy Chairman Simon Hollingbery. Simon thanked Doug for his three years service and presented him with a bottle of his favourite – and very expensive – red wine.
After presenting the wine to Doug on behalf of the BCC Simon said: “I’d like to thank Doug for his work for the BCC over the last three years.
“I’m looking forward to carrying on the good work he’s done, and I will strive to make sure the Council continues
Living Wage Foundation Remain Sceptical Over Budget
Announcement At the beginning of the month, Chancellor for the Exchequer George Osborne announced in his latest Budget that the Conservative government will introduce a ‘National Living Wage’ to replace the minimum wage from next April.
The new National Living Wage will start at £7.20 an hour, rising to £9 by 2020 – an increase on the current minimum wage of £6.50. However, this will only apply to people over the age of 25, with those aged 18-24 still only earning the minimum wage.
While the move towards a living wage was greeted with some degree of positivity, the Living Wage Foundation
twitter.com/TomoCleaning
to be important and relevant to the industry it serves.”
Following his resignation, Doug Cooke said: “I’ve had three very enjoyable years as Council Chairman, and it was a great privilege to be asked to help steer the Cleaning
– the organisation that has actively been campaigning for an increase to basic pay rates for 14 years, with support from the British Cleaning Council, alongside many of the UKs largest cleaning companies – remained sceptical of the news.
In an official statement posted on their website, Rhys Moore, Director of the Living Wage Foundation, said: “We are delighted that the announcement made in the Budget will see over 2.5 million workers receive a much needed pay rise. This is a massive victory for Citizens UK and those communities, workers and business leaders who have campaigned for a Living Wage since 2001. However, this announcement raises several important questions.
“Is this really a Living Wage? The Living Wage is calculated according to the cost of living whereas the Low Pay Commission calculates a rate according to what the market can bear. Without a change of remit for the Low Pay Commission, this is
Show from its former home in Birmingham to London’s Excel, and witness such a fantastic show. It’s now time for me to step down as Chairman, and I’m delighted that someone from the public sector is becoming BCC Chairman, and I know Simon will do a terrific job.”
effectively a higher National Minimum Wage and not a Living Wage.
“Secondly, what about London? There’s a London Living Wage rate that recognises the higher costs in the capital, currently £9.15 per hour. These changes will not help the 586,000 people for whom even the 2020 rate would not be enough to live on now.
“Thirdly, what about the two million under-25s who are not covered by this announcement? To make sure workers in London and those under-25s do not lose out, we call on employers to join the group of 1,600 organisations that have already chosen to become voluntary Living Wage employers.”
The current Living Wage is set at £7.85 an hour and £9.15 an hour in London, but it is likely to rise year on year as living costs continue to increase.
See the full statement released by the Living Wage Foundation on their website here.
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