Agenda item

Guest speaker:  Councillor Andy Hull, LB Islington

Cllr Edwards welcomed Andy Hull, Islington councillor, to the committee to talk about the role councils can play in raising awareness of the national minimum wage.  He drew the committee’s attention to a research report he had written for the Trust for London  Settle for nothing less  and to Newham Council’s report Pay By the Rules, which found that around 17% of Newham residents were earning less than the minimum wage

Andy Hull explained how the HMRC enforces the national minimum wage with a mix of reactive and proactive methods, and its power to impose fine and pursue prosecutions for non-compliance. Problematic areas included home care, apprenticeships, unpaid internships, and hotels. 

The committee discussed the potential channels open to councils:

• Specifying payment of minimum wage in contracts
• Asking questions about payment of minimum wage alongside enforcement and regulatory activities
• Monitoring the list of companies named for non-compliance and drawing attention to any who are local

Councillors suggested that enforcement of the minimum wage might be more effectively managed if it were devolved to local government.  London Councils could be asked to coordinate a letter from council leaders to  the Business Secretary making this suggestion.  There was also a suggestion about involving open data campaigners in the push for minimum wage enforcement