Projects
Employment standards in the public sector
Local government and health authorities play a key role in tackling poverty and its consequences, such as health inequalities. Yet public sector employment practices can run against these ambitions. In particular, many support services are now provided by private sector contractors who often offer very low wage rates, potentially creating the very poverty that the public sector organisations are trying to combat.
This briefing paper discuss how public sector bodies could use their procurement practices to promote good employment standards, bolster their anti-poverty work, tackle inequalities and support public service reform. It also discusses one particular answer to the problems - adherence to an agreed 'living wage' which represents a level of income that workers should, as a minimum, be paid to enable them to achieve an acceptable standard of living.
This research was undertaken in association with The East London Communities Organisation (TELCO), which has been pursuing a living wage campaign in East London.