Lord Wolfson, Chief Executive of retail chain Next, yesterday declared the Living Wage 'irrelevant' and said it was 'an invention' and 'not a reality'.
Rhys Moore, Director of the Living Wage Foundation said:
Thousands of Next's staff need to claim in-work benefits just to make ends meet. Very profitable companies are, in effect, receiving a tax-payer subsidy. Does Lord Wolfson know how much of Nexts profits are propped up this way? The Living Wage is one way for employers to take a lead and help reduce the welfare bill.
Over 1,300 leading employers have signed up to the Living Wage, choosing to o better than the legal minimum requirement. Lord Wolfson's sector is lagging well behind.
The Living Wage enjoys broad cross-party political support, with the Prime Minister himself saying that those businesses who can, should pay the Living Wage.
The Living Wage is an independent calculation set annually by the Centre for Research in Social Policy at Loughborough University, whilst in London it is set by the GLA. The rate takes into account what households need in order to have a minimum acceptable standard of Living.
A strong national minimum wage is essential, but it is not intended to provide a going-rate to employers such as Lord Wolfson.
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