Published date 24 October 2023

All aboard! SS Great Britain backs Mayor’s bid to stamp out poverty pay at West of England’s first Good Employment Summit

Group at the GEC summit holding signs

The SS Great Britain is the latest organisation to sign up to Mayor Dan Norris’s West of England Good Employment Charter.

The announcement was made at the first ever Good Employment Summit marking a year since the Charter was launched.

The SS Great Britain joins 140 firms across the West of England - including animation giants Aardman, Bath Rugby Foundation, Bradley Stoke's Natracare, and Hobbs House Bakery - who together employ over 13,000 West of England workers.

Charter supporters are at the forefront of the fight against poverty pay during the cost-of-living crisis. All organisations pledge to pay staff a Real Living Wage, give employees a say in how their workplaces are run, and clamp down on the use of zero-hours contracts.

There are also pledges on security at work, and developing staff with opportunities for them to get better, and grow.

Metro Mayor Dan Norris said: “No matter what job you do, everyone deserves to be paid properly, with opportunities to progress and develop. That’s especially important during this frightening cost-of-living crisis.

“Developed in partnership with regional trade unions, the West of England Good Employment Charter champions employers who understand that good jobs mean happier and more productive employees.

“As a 'Jobs First' Mayor, my vision is for a West of England region where every job is a good job - where all firms thrive, and every worker valued and respected.”

Currently, more than 15% of the region’s workforce earn less than a Real Living Wage, which is £10.90 an hour outside of London, with an estimated 11,000 workers on zero-hours contracts.

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