I’ve posted the press release below just to spread the good news that one of the University of York’s largest colleges has given its overwhelming support to the Living Wage campaign – standing up for fair pay for the university’s low paid workers.
The University of York Green Party is also behind the campaign and stands for a maximum 10:1 pay ratio at the University (a policy the Green Party advocates nationally).
Vanbrugh gives resounding backing to campus Living Wage campaign
Vanbrugh College voted overwhelmingly on Thursday (14th Feb) to back the Living Wage campaign, a growing demand on campus for all staff to be paid a minimum of £7.20 per hour to support their families. The open meeting, which saw 80 students come together to vote on vital issues, gave its near unanimous backing to the call. It is a response to revelations that VC Brian Cantor is paid 16 times the lowest paid workers employed by the University of York.
Following both the Labour club and the UoY Green Party’s backing of the cause, Vanbrugh College is the first JCRC to get behind the Living Wage, which has already been implemented in various universities such as Queen Mary’s in London.
This follows the latest Freedom of Information request by the Labour club which shows over 600 workers at the university are paid less than the minimum wage. The Living Wage is the amount needed outside of London for a couple of support two children without hardship.
Environment and Campaigns representative Josiah Mortimer, who proposed the motion, said:
“I’m extremely happy that Vanbrugh gave such a resounding vote in support of the Living Wage, which send a strong message to management that pay cannot continue to rise at the top while ordinary workers at the university struggle to pay their bills.
“The fact that Vanbrugh is the first college committee to back the campaign has set the ball rolling and I hope that other JCRCs follow suit. YUSU’s campaign committee is very much behind the project and the call for fair pay for all in these tough times will only grow louder. It is clear that students are very much behind the uni’s workers.”
The vote passed by 78 votes with 1 abstention and 1 against.
More information about the Living Wage can be found here: http://www.livingwage.org.uk/
March the Fury 
Good stuff. How is it possible that workers at the University are paid below minimum? What is being done to change this? I point out that when Labour brought in the minimum wage a lot of workers where I live in Cornwall received a pay rise.
See my very short animated film on you tube re: capitalism and wages based on ‘The Ragged Trousered Philanthropists’ by going to you tube and ‘The Money Trick. one man went to mow’