For the second matter of local or topical interest, could I ask Councillor Rigby to speak on the issue being raised by the Labour group, which is Wandsworth Council's progress
as a great employer and 130 years of Battersea and Wandsworth Trade Union Council.
Councillor Rigby.
Thank you Madam Mayor. On behalf of Wandsworth Labour Councillors I send appreciation and thanks to the Battersea and Wandsworth TUC
as we celebrate 130 years of protecting jobs and raising working conditions for the people of Wandsworth. From campaigns to improve bus safety, cleaning up our
air, protecting the toxic gig economies through to protecting our rail ticket offices. The members of Battersea and Wandsworth TUC worked tirelessly to challenge poor practices
and create working environments where people are safe physically and psychologically, and also fairly rewarded
When Labour was in opposition, one of these campaigns was to ask Wandsworth Council to adopt a policy that the re -tendering of existing contracts and the tendering of any new contracts that tender would stipulate the staff employed under these contracts to work in the borough of Wandsworth would be paid at least the London living wage.
In July 2018 I worked with the very much missed Councillor Andy Gibbons to draw up a motion to ask members to vote on this. The former Conservative administration amended the motion so that it was literally a shadow of its former self. It had so many lines crossed through it, I couldn't tell what was left. All that remained was a non -committal self -congratulatory wish to record its thanks for any local employers, including contractors who did pay the living wage, but there was zero compulsion to bring change. It was a special moment that sadly Andy missed when after Labour took control of Wandsworth Council we undid those crossed out words to make a proper commitment that staff delivering council contracts are paid at least the living wage by April 2026 and if the previous administration had shown any amount of fairness we'd have reached that milestone today we'd be there and we'd have improved quality of life for hundreds of families.
The council and contractors will now start to prepare for more change through Labour's new workers' rights bill, from ending fire and rehire practices to establishing day one rights for paternity.
To return to Battersea and Wandsworth TUC, we thank them for continuing to highlight the inherent wrong in zero -hours contracts and Wandsworth has more people on zero -hours contracts than any other in a London borough. Well, those days are going and that's going to lift many people in Wandsworth out of poverty. We've also introduced our menopause policy. After years of failure to modernise workers' rights, we now have a Labour council, a Labour London Mayor and a Labour Government and together we're changing the world of work for good.
Thank you Councillor Rigby.
Councillor Hogg you have three minutes should you wish to respond.
Thank you I'd like to thank Councillor Rigby for that excellent contribution. I remember her passionate advocacy for the living wage and Councillors like her have kept this brilliant policy alive and now made it mainstream and made it a reality. Thank you. We do not sign contracts unless they have the living wage, so soon everyone doing long and hard day's work for the council, whether on staff, whether they're doing it for a contractor, will be paid that fair day's wage, at least the living wage.
Congratulations also to Battersea and Wandsworth TUC on 130 years of fighting for the people of Wandsworth, first set up as Battersea Trades and Labour Council by John Burns in 1894.
No, I'm gonna resist saying Councillor Belton was on. No, let's keep going.
Battersea was at the forefront of a new and fairer way of doing local government. Through directly employed labour, the payment of fair wages and work projects for the unemployed. Burns went on to be the first working class member of the British cabinet, where he established the fair wages resolution requiring outsourced workers to be paid the same as those employed by the council. and we're still working on that one John, but we will get there I promise.
Not everyone has agreed with these changes. Wandsworth Tories sold off council homes in their droves when they took over the council and outsourced as much of its services as they could. Not only did they oppose the introduction of the living wage, Wandsworth Tories opposed the introduction of the minimum wage. But now Wandsworth has returned to its roots, a Labour administration acting in the interests of working people. That's why we're building a thousand council homes, creating a thousand apprenticeships, keeping council tax low alongside the biggest cost of living response in London. But of course the world of work has changed and we're changing with it.
We want to be a great employer, upgrading offices, our new staff values, a greater focus on equality and now two days a year off for all staff to volunteer at local charities.
You mentioned our menopause policy and next up is a policy around people with caring responsibilities as well. All of this achieved in partnership with our workplace trade unions. And thank you for mentioning Councillor Gibbons and keeping his legacy alive in this room also. This is a council that's good for workers and good for business too. Our work match brokerage has supported two and a half thousand local residents into work and obviously we're very proud to welcome Apple and Penguin Random House and others and their large staff teams to the borough.
Wandsworth has an incredibly productive and hard -working population and we will always stand up for their rights.
Thank you, Councillor Hogg.
