A UNION has published research showing that nearly a third of workers in Cornwall do not get paid the Living Wage.

The GMB's findings ranked Cornwall as the sixth worst local authority area in the South West for employees receiving the Living Wage, which increased by 20p to £7.85 per hour in November.

This hourly rate – which is significantly higher than the Government's Minimum Wage – is deemed by independent experts to be the income required for 'a minimum acceptable standard of living'.

Figures published by the union state that 30.7 per cent of all employees in the county do not receive the Living Wage hourly rate of pay.

When these figures are broken down, they show that 23.9 per cent of men and 37.2 of women have earnings below the benchmark payment level. Nearly half (47.9 per cent) of part-time employees do not get paid the Living Wage.

The GMB findings result from its analysis of the latest official estimates for the percentage of jobs paying less than the Living Wage.

The South West average percentage is 22.6 per cent and the UK average is 21.7 per cent.

The GMB published its findings to mark the launch of its campaign to get every local authority signed up to the Living Wage.

A total of 134 out of 375 local authorities in England and Wales, including Cornwall, have so far implemented the Living Wage for their lowest-paid staff or committed to doing so, up from 103 a year ago.

GMB Regional Secretary for the South West John Phillips said: 'No area is immune from the low-pay epidemic which is why all local authorities need to champion the Living Wage in their communities, beginning with their own staff and contractors.

Benefits

'There are 446,300 council employees paid less than the Living Wage, the majority of them women working part-time.

'The Living Wage is a first step towards a rate of pay that people can live on without relying on benefits.

'Town halls can't solve the low-pay problem on their own and some in the worst-hit areas are already signed up to the Living Wage. But councils are a very important part of the picture locally, not least through their procurement of goods and services from other local employers.

'A total of 134 out of 375 local authorities in England and Wales have so far agreed to pay the Living Wage which means we are more than a third of the way there. This year the GMB aims to get the remainder on board.

'One of the key recommendations of last year's All-Party Parliamentary Inquiry into Hunger in the UK was for local authorities to pay the Living Wage and use their procurement strategies to encourage local businesses to do likewise.

Morale

'Public health experts are warning that people need a sufficient income in order to live a healthy life. There is also a strong business case for implementing the Living Wage because it raises morale and productivity, improves attendance and reduces staff turnover.'