GMB welcome Heathrow commitment to the London Living Wage
GMB welcomes Heathrow's commitment to pay London living wage now £9.75 per hour for direct and contract staff at the airport.
This is good news for many GMB members and workers at London Heathrow Airport and a positive step in the right direction says GMB London.
GMB, the union for workers at Heathrow, welcome the news that Heathrow Holdings Ltd have committed to working with their supply chain, with support from GMB, to understand the impact and opportunities the paying of the London Living Wage to all directly and non-directly employed staff at Heathrow would present.
GMB have been campaigning on behalf of its members, many of whom work for contracted employers at London Heathrow Airport, to be paid the London Living Wage. GMB have always supported and campaigned for Heathrow expansion and welcomed the Governments decision on giving the go ahead for the expansion at Heathrow that will see the creation of up to 180,000 jobs, 40,000 jobs in the local area, double the apprenticeships at Heathrow, to a total of 10,000, and up to £211bn in economic benefits across the UK by 2050.
Heathrow has informed GMB that it will announce their more detailed plans in 2017 to become a London Living Wage employer once they have completed work with their contracted supply chain and their own regulatory cycle. Heathrow Ltd has welcomed the GMB's support as it moves towards achieving their aim of becoming a London Living Wage community and have invited the GMB to meet with them in 2017.
The Davis Commission report on the expansion contained a condition for Heathrow to demonstrate leadership as a community employer by adopting The London Living wage as part of the planning consent for the Heathrow expansion. Heathrow Airport has accepted this condition and is committed to moving forward to become a London Living Wage community.
Perry Phillips, GMB's Regional Organiser for Aviation at Heathrow said "This is good news for many GMB members and workers at London Heathrow Airport and is a positive step in the right direction that Heathrow Ltd has now demonstrated its commitment on becoming a London Living Wage employer.
Heathrow Ltd should be in a position to implement the London living wage at Heathrow Airport that will see low paid contracted workers benefit from the Governments support for the Heathrow runway.
Heathrow Airport is the largest airport in the world and is a vibrant economic gateway to the rest of the world and it is only fair and proper that workers and contracted workers at a World Class Heathrow should not be paid below living standard wages in London. I welcome the commitment from Heathrow Ltd and very much look forward to working with then in 2017.
It is only right that many low paid workers at Heathrow should benefit from the expansion and be paid the London Living Wage.”
End
Contact: Perry Phillips on 07912 293 481
Notes to editors:
1 Heathrow Airport Holdings Ltd letter to GMB dated 5 December 2016
Dear Mr Phillips
Thank you for your letter dated 14th November in which you raise the question of Heathrow becoming a London Living Wage company.
We welcome the support that the GMB has shown for Heathrow expansion throughout the airport expansion campaign and share your view on the benefits this will bring to the UK as well as those living in the local areas surrounding Heathrow. We are very pleased that the Government has now accepted the recommendation made by the Davies Commission and is backing Heathrow expansion. We are now starting work on the planning consent and on preparing the supply chain to deliver the expansion programme.
The Davies Commission report contained a condition for Heathrow to "demonstrate leadership as a community employer by adopting the London Living Wage". We have accepted this condition as part of the planning consent. Heathrow Airport Limited already pays above London Living Wage for our directly employed colleagues and are working with our supply chain to understand what impact and opportunities this might present, the potential impact on the local community and our own the regulatory cycle. We will announce our more detailed plans to become a London Living Wage employer when we have completed that work, probably in 2017.
We would very much welcome your support as we move towards achieving our aim and I will ask my colleagues Maya Jani (Head of General Procurement) and Sylvia Cashman (Head of People Services) who are leading our activities on behalf of Heathrow to make contact with you in the New Year to arrange to meet.
I hope this letter has demonstrated that Heathrow is committed to moving forward as a London Living wage community.
Yours sincerely
John Holland-Kaye
Chief Executive Officer
