Employers Must Pay A Living Wage

In Hampshire and across England, we are campaigning with the English Futures Party for all employers to pay the minimum of the Real Living Wage - £8.25 per hour, to all staff over 18.

Independent Councillor Andrew Pope, also Leader of the English Futures Party says:

"The Real Living Wage is £8.25 per hour. It is much higher than the National Minimum Wage.

Paying the Real Living Wage to all over 18s removes confusion about the different grades of minimum wage for different ages. 

The Real Living Wage is also higher than sacked Tory Chancellor George Osborne's botched National Living Wage, which isn't a living wage at all but another confusing grade to the minimum wage.

If you are an adult and doing the job, you should be treated as an adult and paid as an adult, not as a child as some employers seem to want to."

The news comes as Councillor Pope was quoted in the national media (Daily Mail) and local media in Southampton (Daily Echo), as he has asked HMRC to investigate Southampton FC on the minimum wage. Andrew told the Daily Echo:

“I have been campaigning to improve staff pay in football for years, because the pay gap couldn't be bigger between players, agents and staff. 

Football clubs need to set an example to other employers in the area. Other employers have been "named and shamed" by HMRC as flouting the minimum wage, as reported by the Daily Echo. I have reported Southampton FC because I believe I have evidence to warrant an investigation by HMRC. 

With such large sums of money sloshing around at football clubs, it appears to be what Lord Alan Sugar has referred to as the ‘Prune Juice Effect’ with the money going straight through the clubs from TV deals and into the pockets of players and agents. 

This is wrong. 

They can prove they care about their staff by paying a decent wage, the Real Living Wage as set by the Living Wage Foundation, to all staff. This is only £8.25 per hour, a lot less than players like Charlie Austin get, for sure!”

Councillor Pope has also spoken with some of the local Hampshire companies who were "named and shamed" by HMRC for paying below the minimum wage. They told him that they were now compliant and had made an "honest mistake". HMRC listed almost 200 companies across the country.

Blackpool FC and Brighton and Hove Albion FC were exposed in HMRC's list, and we have reason to believe that other professional football clubs are flouting the minimum wage.

Join us to campaign for better pay, better job satisfaction and better job security.