Decision details

With the consent of Council, Councillor MclIveen moved her motion, amended at the suggestion of Councillor Charles Mathew as shown in bold italics and strikethrough below:

“Living costs in Oxfordshire are high and pay is relatively low. High housing costs mean that employers in the public and private sectors struggle to recruit and retain staff.  There are vacancies in all areas of the public sector and this is affecting service delivery. Housing costs in Oxfordshire have risen at a similar rate to those in London where workers in the Public Sector are paid a London Living Wage of £10.55 per hour.

Paying a Local Living Wage will enable people to take up job opportunities in Oxfordshire and according to employers would

?   improve staff’s quality of work;

?   decrease Absenteeism;

?   with better retention lower human resources costs.

It enables people to live on their wages and reduces in work benefits via Universal Credit. Paying the local Living Wage increases investment in the local economy.

Oxfordshire County Council asks the Cabinet to set up a working group with health partners and the Oxfordshire System Workforce Group to investigate implementation, including the cost to individual sectors of the Community, of a Living Wage policy in Oxfordshire (similar to London) and its countywide impact.”

The motion as amended was approved by 57 votes to 0 (unanimously).

RESOLVED:

“Living costs in Oxfordshire are high and pay is relatively low. High housing costs mean that employers in the public and private sectors struggle to recruit and retain staff.  There are vacancies in all areas of the public sector and this is affecting service delivery. Housing costs in Oxfordshire have risen at a similar rate to those in London where workers in the Public Sector are paid a London Living Wage of £10.55 per hour.

Paying a Local Living Wage will enable people to take up job opportunities in Oxfordshire and according to employers would

?   improve staff’s quality of work;

?   decrease Absenteeism;

?   with better retention lower human resources costs.

It enables people to live on their wages and reduces in work benefits via Universal Credit. Paying the local Living Wage increases investment in the local economy.

Oxfordshire County Council asks the Cabinet to set up a working group with health partners and the Oxfordshire System Workforce Group to investigate implementation, including the cost to individual sectors of the Community, of a Living Wage policy in Oxfordshire (similar to London) and its countywide impact.”