January 24, 2025

Greater Manchester Living Wage Campaign update

By John Hacking, Greater Manchester Living Wage Campaign Coordinator at Resolve Poverty

At the time of writing, there are 819 accredited Living Wage Employers in Greater Manchester (GM) employing over 165,000 employees. This figure has now exceeded the target set in the GM Living Wage Action Plan of 650 accredited employers by November 2024. The current rate of the Living Wage is £12.60 an hour.

We attended the recent GM Living Wage Action Plan Steering Group meeting on 16 January. The main item of discussion was the content and targets for the next three-year action plan to be agreed by partners and the Living Wage Foundation as part of the ambition to maintain GM as a Living Wage City Region. The refreshed action plan, when agreed in Spring 2025, will continue to work towards the overarching target of all employees being paid the Living Wage in GM by 2030.

In recent months, we’ve attended a number of Living Wage Places Network events. These events are attended by representatives from across Greater Manchester as well as from Living Wage Place Action Groups across the country, and focus on campaigning in those regions. Anyone interested in learning more about the Living Wage Places Network can get in touch at john@resolvepoverty.org.

Since the election of a new Labour Government in July 2024, we’ve been working with partners including the GMCA, GM Good Employment Charter, trade unions (especially UNISON and USDAW) and others, to ensure that the implications of the new Employment Rights Bill align with our ambitions for the Living Wage in GM.

We continue to promote the Living Wage through events and social media. Further information about our work and activities, including podcasts, can be found on our Greater Manchester Living Wage Campaign page.

If you want to find how to get involved in your area, employer or sector please contact john@resolvepoverty.org.

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This article is featured in our Greater Manchester monthly bulletin.

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