UNISON, the UK’s largest education union, and the National Society, which promotes and resources Church of England schools, have reached a landmark agreement that paves the way for all Church of England schools to gain Living Wage accreditation.
The Church of England’s nearly 4,700 schools are committed to paying the living wage but this new implementation plan will provide the means for all support staff to receive it by turning the schools into Living Wage employers*. The schools are being given a step-by-step implementation plan produced by the union, covering both directly employed and contracted out staff to help them win Living Wage accreditation.
The agreement follows a motion that was passed by the General Synod, which recognised that ‘the widening gap between rich and poor harms all of society and that paying a Living Wage lifts people out of poverty’. It agreed to strongly encourage all Church of England institutions to pay at least the Living Wage, as recommended by Church Action on Poverty.