Swansea Labour council set to be first Welsh authority to offer staff £10 minimum hourly rate
The Swansea Labour-led Swansea Council is poised to become the first Welsh council to adopt a minimum staff salary of £10 per hour.
“Our staff and key workers have been amazing throughout the pandemic, delivering essential services to the people of Swansea every day”
This is a generous and significant move by Swansea Labour as they look to reward key authority staff for their important work throughout the Covid-19 pandemic taking staff above the real living wage rate.
The Labour cabinet has recommended to a full council meeting in March that the budget be approved to support this minimum salary proposal of £10 per hour.
If approved, it would be implemented from April 1 this year and would be above the UK's voluntary real living wage rate of £9.90.
Labour Cllr Rob Stewart, The Swansea Council leader, said: "Our staff and key workers have been amazing throughout the pandemic, delivering essential services to the people of Swansea every day - from providing care and support, to ensuring bins are collected, and major projects are delivered.
“I'm really proud that we've been able to work with trades unions to get to this stage and - if agreed next month - this move will raise salaries immediately for the lowest paid, ensuring they're paid above the real living wage."
Labour Cllr David Hopkins, Joint deputy leader, said: "I want our employees to earn a wage that meets the costs of living, not just the government minimum."
Key union secretaries have welcomed Swansea Labour’s generous bid.
GMB branch secretary Dorothy Gordon said: "GMB are pleased that the council could soon be paying their lower paid workers a £10 per hour minimum wage. We've been negotiating with the authority for 18 months on behalf of our members - and we'll continue to campaign for them."
UNISON secretary Chris Cooze said: "UNISON, as the largest union in the authority, has been campaigning for a £10 minimum wage. It's fantastic to see Swansea looking to set the standard that hopefully other Welsh councils will follow."
Jason Strannigan, branch secretary of the council's Unite branch, said: "We've been working closely with the council to reward lower paid workers with a £10 living wage. This minimum wage would help them with the rising living costs."
Photo: Swansea Council leader Rob Stewart and the GMB's Dorothy Gordon, front centre, with - from left - Jason Strannigan (Unite), council joint deputy leader Andrea Lewis, Susan Adams (GMB), council chief executive Phil Roberts, council joint deputy leader David Hopkins and Christopher Cooze (Unison). Pic: Swansea Council
