A LIVING wage could be introduced in Southampton if council chiefs back a new initiative.
The city council’s cabinet will vote today to back the establishment of a Fairness Commission.
The commission is aimed at tackling “social evils” in society, and provides an opportunity for the council to introduce a living wage.
The living wage is calculated based on the cost of living in the UK, and some employers currently choose to pay it on a voluntary basis.
Outside of London, the wage currently stands at £7.45 an hour, and is reviewed by the Centre for Research in Social Policy each year.
The proposal which will go in front of cabinet chiefs today is to back the creation of the fairness commission and start research into how the city council could implement the living wage.
The commission will also try to bring together businesses, residents, voluntary organisations and the council to tackle issues such as poverty and inequality.
It would be an independent body, with the chairman elected by public vote and the vice chairman a member of the city council.
The commission would meet up to six times a year to look at issues including education, employment and pay and how they can be tackled in Southampton.
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