Lead Organiser, Living Wage Campaign
Growing up in South London the split between rich and poor was always apparent and appalling. The health, crime and other social problems brought about by poverty are clear and affect all of us. Doing agency work for a little extra cash I became friends with the largely immigrant workforce that cleans, feeds and looks after London for minimum wage. Whereas I was earning ‘beer money’ my workmates were struggling to raise families. The Living Wage Campaign aims to make sure that anyone in London working full-time earns a wage and that they can provide adequately for themselves and their families. A fair day’s pay for an honest day’s work – simple really. Uniting low-paid workers, trade unions, community groups and students, the Living Wage Campaign has brought pay increases and better employment conditions to hundreds of Londoners. It goes beyond the good causes to the root causes – economic injustice and poverty.