Ahead of Living Wage Week, taking place from Monday 10th November to Sunday 16th November, 20 London churches have now been accredited as Living Wage employers, with more expecting to be accredited soon.
With churches across London facilitating numerous anti-poverty ministries, such as food banks, debt cafes, and pantries for their local communities, many have also been supporting their employees by providing them with the London Living Wage.
The Diocese of London has marked the week with a film, with contributions from parishes across the Capital who have been accredited as Living Wage Employers.
These parishes range all the way from St Katharine Cree – a guild church for workers, with a congregation mostly made up of workers with South American heritage to St Paul’s Cathedral, an employer of over 200 people.
Priest-in-Charge of St Katharine Cree, Revd Josh Harris commented:
“Our diverse community in the Guild Church for Workers is made up of hard-working individuals who keep the City of London running. We are dedicated to building a just and hopeful future for the City, inspired by God’s teachings.
“For our congregation which varies from cleaners to people in hospitality as a workers’ Guild church, dignified work and being paid a real Living Wage is essential. And so, for us to share the Good News of Jesus with them with integrity means committing to paying our own team a real Living Wage.”
The commitment to economic justice from these parishes has extended to supporting different parts of the local community, with St Mary Islington setting up a nursery school that pays the Living Wage.
Vicar of St Mary Islington, Revd James Hughesdon said:
“St Mary’s is deeply committed to the justice of paying a fair wage to our staff. We run St Mary’s Preschool and know that childcare sector workers in particular are often underpaid for the vital work they do.
“By paying the Real Living Wage we are putting our money where our theological mouth is and ensuring our staff have the dignity of being paid a fair and just wage. As we work with our community partners to make this a better world we believe this reveals the mercy and the justice of God.”
As Co-Chair of the “Making London a Living Wage City” campaign, which aims to tackle in-work poverty in the capital and put £635m of wages back into the pockets of low-paid workers, the Bishop of London, the Rt Revd Rt Hon Dame Sarah Mullally, commented:
“I’m so proud that London churches are gathering behind a movement for economic justice as part of making London a living wage city. I hope more churches and employers become accredited so they may ensure that the people of London are treated with the dignity and respect they deserve as people made in the image of God.”
