British Land backs Southwark Living Wage push

IMAGE: Cllr Martin Seaton (second left) and members of the Canada Water team visit Plot A1

As the cost of living in one of the world’s most expensive cities continues to bite, workers at London Living Wage employers across the capital will feel the benefit of the rise in the Wage announced at the end of last month. People over 18 years old who work for accredited real Living Wage Employers in London will now receive a minimum of £13.15 per hour.

Here at British Land, we’re signed up to support the council’s efforts in making Southwark a Living Wage Borough, having achieved accreditation as a Living Wage employer earlier this year. We pay all our employees the London Living Wage and so do our contractors on the Canada Water development, and we’ve now reaffirmed our commitment to the increased Wage.

The real Living Wage is the only UK wage rate based on the cost of living and is paid by businesses to their employees on a voluntary basis over and above the statutory minimum and national wage requirements.

Southwark was the first borough in London to be named as a Living Wage Place and has just been awarded that status for a further three years. A total of 312 businesses in the borough are now Living Wage Employers , guaranteeing a real living wage for almost 5,000 people. Southwark’s Living Wage unit has announced a new grant to cover the fees for up to three years for newly accredited Living Wage Employers based in the borough. 

Cllr Martin Seaton, Cabinet Member for Jobs, Skills and Business was recently on site at the Canada Water development’s Plot A1 (to be known as The Founding and Three Deal Porters), where he met with workers to mark Living Wage Week. He said: “I’m delighted that British Land have become a Living Wage Employer and mandated that all people [excluding those learning and earning as apprentices] employed on the Canada Water Masterplan through their supply chain will receive at least the real Living Wage. 

“Southwark Council has made ambitious commitments to increase the number of employers paying the Living Wage in our Borough and it is great to have British Land support this work. The Living Wage is something I care passionately about, it is good for business, good for employees and good for our local economy.”

British Land is committed to getting local people into meaningful, sustained employment as the Canada Water development takes shape. To date, 68 previously unemployed residents have been employed for six months or more and 180 residents have benefited from training courses. The development has also employed 49 new apprentices. 

The project will create thousands of jobs in construction, retail, hospitality and many other sectors over the coming months and years. The Canada Water Connect team are here to help link up local people with these jobs and other opportunities arising from the development, including learning opportunities, community initiatives, and support for local entrepreneurs and businesses to grow.

If you'd like to find out more about the opportunities being created as part of the development, please get in touch by visiting emailing [email protected].