Greater London Assembly votes to limit pay differences

Submitted by Kathryn Busby on 16 June 2010

We are delighted to report that the Greater London Assembly today passed a motion proposed by Assembly Member Darren Johnson (pictured), to limit pay ratios within the GLA and associated bodies to 1:20 - with a long term goal of reducing them to 1:10

One Society was tweeting about the debate as it happened and you will soon be able to watch the archived webcast at the GLA website.

*Update 3pm* The motion was passed by 13 votes to 12. We were disappointed to hear that although David Cameron has pledged to restrict pay ratios in the public sector to 1:20, all Conservative Assembly Members voted against this motion.

Read the GLA's press release

The successful motion:

This Assembly notes the Prime Minister’s pledge to limit the highest public sector pay settlement to no more than twenty times that of the lowest worker, and the Equality Trust’s proposal to aim for pay inequality to be reduced to no more than ten times. The Assembly also notes that within the GLA Group there are approximately 90 staff paid more than ten times the London Living Wage.

This Assembly calls on the GLA Chief Executive, the Mayor, the Police Authority, the Fire and Emergency Planning Authority, the Board of Transport for London and the Board of the London Development Agency to commit themselves to reducing the difference in pay between the lowest and highest paid staff to no more than 20 times, with a long term goal of no more than 10 times.