Quaker staff earn living wage

Symon Hill investigates

British Quakers are doing well when it comes to paying employees a living wage – but they are still behind others who have made a more active commitment. This is the assessment of Church Action on Poverty (CAP), who have compared the practices of major Christian denominations.

The living wage is calculated by academics using focus groups, shop prices and regional variations. It has recently been re-set at £7.60 per hour.

In contrast, the legal minimum wage is only £5.80 for people over 21, £4.83 for workers aged 18-21 and £3.57 for those under 18.

CAP praises Britain Yearly Meeting (BYM) for paying a living wage to all its staff and for maintaining a ratio of four to one between its highest and lowest paid workers. But no figures are available for the payment of wardens and other locally employed staff, nor has BYM formally encouraged Area and Local Meetings to pay the living wage.

The Methodist Church is ‘leading the way’ according to CAP, having resolved that all staff, at national and local level, will receive the living wage, with a few strictly defined exceptions. Not far behind are the Church of Scotland, who are working with local congregations to move towards living wage payment.

The Church of England and the Roman Catholic Church draw the greatest criticism, as neither has expressed support for the living wage even in principle.

Accompanying Quakers in the middle of the results are Baptists and the United Reformed Church, who formally encourage – but don’t require – their local churches to pay the living wage.

CAP’s Alan Thornton said that thousands of people are still in poverty ‘because they are only paid the national minimum wage. For Christians, this denigrates the fundamental dignity of humanity.’

You need to login to read subscriber-only content and/or comment on articles.