Motion for <X College JCR> affiliation to the Cambridge Living Wage Coalition

<X College JCR> notes:

1.	That given high living costs in the Cambridge area, low wages, even though meeting the basic 
minimum wage level, can be insufficient for meeting basic needs and thus produce hardship;

2.	The recent establishment and progress of the Cambridge Living Wage Coalition (Facebook: 'You 
wouldn't want less than six and a half'), an alliance of individuals, Cambridge student societies and 
students' unions, campaigning for a living wage for Cambridge University and college employees of at 
least £6.50 per hour, a figure supported by UNISON;

3.	The Freedom of Information requests carried out by the Cambridge University Labour Club to 
Cambridge colleges, which showed that over 1,000 employees across the colleges currently earn 
below the living wage, with <X (number) employees> below £6.50 in <X College>;

4.	The University of Cambridge's 2006 pay settlement which will guarantee all University (but not 
college) employees a wage of at least £6.50 per hour in the near future;

5.	Queen Mary's, University of London, decision to become the UK's first Living Wage Campus in 2006, 
following a successful campaign by student and other activists.


<X College JCR> believes:

1.	That, following the University's and QM's lead, <X College> should adopt a living wage policy to pay 
all staff at least £6.50 per hour of work, excluding full time students;

2.	That with the benefits brought to students through membership of the University come moral and 
social responsibilities;

3.	That the aforementioned moral responsibilities include the duty to support University and college 
employees in their efforts to secure a decent standard of living relative to the society of which they 
are members;

4.	That in addition to the moral case, a strong business case exists for colleges to pay a living wage, 
including the arguments that colleges paying the living wage may experience:
i)	Lower staff turnover and therefore less waste associated with retraining;
ii)	Higher staff motivation, with resulting gains in productivity;

5.	That <X College JCR's> affiliation to the Cambridge Living Wage Coalition would provide additional 
weight to the Living Wage Campaign begun by University societies.


<X College JCR> resolves:

1.	To officially affiliate to the Cambridge Living Wage Coalition;

2.	To mandate the Executive Committee to draw the attention of college authorities to the Cambridge 
Living Wage Campaign and encourage them to consider making <X College> a Living Wage 
Employer.


Proposed: <name>
Seconded: <name>