Vote for a Mayor Who has the Interests of London's Workers at Heart

Mayor of London, Kenneth Robert Livingstone at the World Economic Forum in Davos, 2008.

30 Apr 2008 10:04 Africa/Lagos


Vote for a Mayor Who has the Interests of London's Workers at Heart

LONDON, April 30/PRNewswire/ --

Unite, London's biggest trade union, is calling on Londoners to vote for a Mayor who has the interests of working people and their families at heart.


The union will today highlight Ken Livingstone's record on supporting young people and the introduction of the living wage as testament to his solid commitment to making London a fairer city.


Urging London's workers to vote for a Mayor that will put their interests first, Unite's Joint General Secretary, Tony Woodley said:


"Ken Livingstone's Living Wage Unit broke new ground in delivering fairer pay deals for hard-pressed workers in one of the world's most expensive cities.


Thanks to Ken Livingstone, there's a growing acceptance that a living wage in the city starts at GBP7.20. It is a powerful statement that shows this Mayor is committed to lifting workers out of poverty. In a city where income is vastly polarised, it is vital that low wage workers know their Mayor is on their side."


Unite has also welcomed the pledge by Ken Livingstone to match the GBP79 million already allocated by the government to improve facilities for London's young people.


Unite's Joint General Secretary, Derek Simpson said,


"Doubling the money available for services for young people will be music to the ears of families across the capital. This investment is the most substantial since the foundation of the youth service in 1961 and will go a long way to addressing the Tory legacy.


Thanks to Ken Livingstone with this new money we have more opportunities to tackle some of the problems affecting young people in the capital."


Notes to Editors


1. The Living Wage unit was established following a commitment in the Mayor's election manifesto in 2004. It is part of the Greater London Authority's economics unit 'GLA Economics' which provides authoritative and expert analysis of London's economy for policy development and decision making by the Greater London Authority.


Source: Unite the Union

Contact: Ciaran Naidoo +44(0)7768-931-315.