John McDonnell tonight calls for £15-an-hour minimum wage to fill workers’ wallets.
The former Shadow Chancellor will demand a hike in the legal pay floor as he addresses a fringe meeting at the Trades Union Conference on Tuesday.
Lifting the level to such heights would be dramatic: the Government’a National Living Wage is just £8.72 an hour, falling to £8.20 for those aged between 21 and 24, and just £6.45 for those aged 18 to 20.
The voluntary “Real” Living Wage is £9.30 for all age groups, rising to £10.75 in London where costs are higher.
But Mr McDonnell’s plan – which he believes would help the economy bounce back from the devastating coronavirus recession – would see even that level soar by more than 50%.
He also calls for a Minimum Income Guarantee of at least £221 per week, slashing the working week to an average of 32 hours and four extra bank holidays to encourage staycations and boost British tourism.
He said: “To stave off the threatened recession and give people the security they need, the Government must be radical and act big.
“Guaranteeing people an income they can live on and a job with decent pay will see us all through this coming recession.
It is sound economics but it needs a government with the courage to act.”
The demands are set out in a new report, ‘Valuing Work and Empowering Workers Properly After the Crisis’ – part of Mr McDonnell’s ‘Claim the Future’ project that brings together policy experts and campaigners.
Ben Glaze, The Mirror, 14 September,