INCREASING WAGES

"I stand in solidarity with Cambridge University staff in their industrial action for the Cambridge weighting. Cambridge is getting as expensive as London and those on the lowest incomes are getting priced out of the city. We are already struggling with a cost of living crisis and below inflation pay rises are actually pay cuts.

Our world famous university draws students/academics and tourists in from all over the world and makes money from this as well as from rent as the institution owns most of the land in Cambridge. We need to make sure that it is a city that people can comfortably build a life in and to be able to thrive and not just survive.

I support the Cambridge weighting for university staff as better pay is just the beginning of addressing the huge inequality in our city. Food bank usage is at an all time high and more and more employed professionals are now resorting to using these due to the soaring cost of living. 

The Cambridge weighting will help employees feel valued too. I am a trade unionist myself with Prospect and understand the importance of and power of collective bargaining to help improve work and pay conditions and protection from exploitation.

I am also a public servant in central London who receives the London weighting. This has helped me to be able to afford to travel to work and have some money left over to eat and pay bills.

If I am elected in Kings Hedges on May 7th, I will continue supporting employees asking for better pay and campaign to get further Cambridge based employers to pay the Cambridge weighting to their staff, including those who work in the public sector.

If I didn’t have to work today I would have been on the picket lines with you.

Solidarity."