5 November 2018

Liberal Judaism’s leadership and rabbis have reinforced our movement’s call for a real Living Wage, as part of Living Wage Week which begins today.

Our movement and synagogues are Living Wage employers for both employees and contractors and will be implementing today’s increase to £9 an hour across the country and £10.55 in London.

Our rabbis were also among 65 senior faith leaders who wrote to the Sunday Times this weekend stressing the need for all employers to follow this lead.

The letter reads: “The harm caused by poverty in our country should be a source of national shame. There are now millions of people who work every day but are unable to afford even the basics. This is damaging family life, and robbing future generations of a secure and stable home. 

“Our different faiths provide a common teaching, that we cannot turn a blind eye to injustice, and that everyone deserves a chance to live in dignity and security. This is also true of our businesses. The jobs they provide allow many to derive purpose and meaning in their daily lives, but too many are paying their workers too little and leaving them struggling to stay afloat. This hurts everyone. 

“One solution is the Living Wage, which has risen to meet the real cost of living. Good businesses can do the right thing and we join in celebration with the 4,700 real Living Wage employers who pay staff a wage they can live on.”

Those signing the letter included our movement’s senior rabbi, Rabbi Danny Rich, chair of the Conference of Liberal Rabbis and Cantors Rabbi Aaron Goldstein and Rabbi Alex Wright, the senior rabbi of The Liberal Jewish Synagogue.

The real Living Wage provides an ethical benchmark for responsible pay. Over a third of FTSE 100 companies are accredited Living Wage employers, as well as thousands of small businesses.

The wage is independently calculated every year based a social consensus of what people need for a decent standard of living and to participate fully in society.

For more information, including the full list of signatories to the letter, please click here.