Carers will continue to earn less than London Living Wage, Camden Council rules

Carers will continue to earn less than the London Living Wage in Camden despite protests from opposition parties within Camden Council, it was ruled last week.

The Labour cabinet’s decision to award a contract paying carers less than the London Living Wage, a salary calculated on the basis of the cost of living in the capital, was scrutinised at length after Camden Conservatives, Liberal Democrats and Green Party councillors condemned the move.

But after a two-and-a-half hour debate, the chairman of the Housing and Adult Social Care Scrutiny Committee, Labour Cllr Meric Apak, backed the decision not to pay carers hired by council contractors the London Living Wage.

Leader of Camden Conservatives, Cllr Claire-Louise Leyland, branded the council “hypocritical” while also vowing to lobby the government over the use of zero-hours contracts within the care industry.

But she said she was “pleased” that Camden has committed to paying carers the living wage when contracts are renewed in two years time.

The scrutiny meeting heard that only three contracts awarded by Camden Council do not pay employees the London Living Wage or higher.

Last month, cabinet member for finance, Cllr Theo Blackwell, said that there are no boroughs in the capital paying the London Living Wage to those in private social care contracts.