Beyond the bottom line: The challenges and opportunities of a living wage
Article
IPPR's major report asks what role public policy should play in supporting progress on the living wage, the campaign for which has exemplified the power of bottom-up organisation.
Eleven years after it was revived by a broad-based community campaign in East London, the living wage is now an established fixture of our national policy debate. Yet in some senses, living wages have generated more heat than light, and as the living wage concept begins to attract serious scrutiny, the time is ripe for a far more rigorous and informed discussion.
What is the role of public policy in supporting progress on the living wage? The living wage campaign exemplifies the power of bottom-up organisation, and this must remain at the heart of the living wage idea. Yet there is a clear role for public policy in supporting civil society.
Recommendations and proposals in this report focus on:
- Encouraging living wage leadership within the public sector
- Using the procurement power of national and local government to extend living wage coverage
- Supporting the take-up of living wages among large private sector employers
- Incentivising living wage coverage among small and medium-sized enterprises
- Strengthening the living wage campaign
Related items
The new politics of AI: Why fast technological change requires bold policy targets
The upcoming AI Action Summit in Paris is an opportunity to show how we can harness artificial intelligence (AI) as a force for societal, economic, and environmental good.The homes that children deserve: Housing policy to support families
As the government seeks to develop a new child poverty strategy, it will need to grapple with housing – the single largest cost faced by families.Powering up public support for electric vehicles
Tackling greenhouse gas emissions will only work if public support for action remains strong. That means ensuring tangible improvements in people’s lives and heading off any brewing backlash.