Campaigners call for ‘a fair wage’ from West Ham

Sean Whetstone

7 years ago

Categories: News, Whispers

West Ham, Arsenal and Spurs have been singled out by living-wage campaigners after being accused of failing to ensure everyone who works for them was paid “a fair wage” says the Telegraph.

The chairmen of the three London clubs were sent open letters by Citizens UK – which has long lobbied for the living wage – calling on them to join Chelsea and Everton in becoming a so-called ‘Living Wage club’. The letter followed one sent to Arsenal, Spurs, West Ham and Crystal Palace last month by London Mayor Sadiq Khan urging the quartet to pay the London living wage as part of a drive to ensure all employers across the capital do so.

The campaigners say: “Clubs often claim the responsibility for pay lies with the contractors themselves, such as Delaware North, who provide much of the catering services at both Arsenal and West Ham, and Vinci Facilities in the form of London Stadium 185, who operate the stadium for West Ham. However, Citizens UK believe it’s the responsibility of the clubs themselves to ensure all staff who work on their site, and are so vital to the match-day experience, are paid a fair wage.”

West Ham told the Telegraph that they paid their permanent full-time and part-time staff the living wage, although that is not the case for all of the workers at their London Stadium home, which is publicly owned and the operation of which falls under the jurisdiction of City Hall.

London Stadium stewards employed by OCS contracted through LS185 on behalf of E20 are thought to earn an average of £7.50 to £8,50 per hour while Stadium bar staff earn £7.50 per hour are employed by Delaware North under a contract from LS185 on behalf of E20. By comparison the new match day SLO’s on duty on Wednesday night and employed directly by West Ham earn the London Living Wage of £9.75 per hour.

A London Stadium 185 Spokesman confirmed to ClaretandHugh “All LS185 employees earn London Living wage. You’re correct as regards sub-contractors – some earn less than London Living wage at present.”

An insider at West Ham told ClaretandHugh: “The club have no mechanism in which to pay staff not employed by them. It’s ironic that the only staff not paid LLW are those employed by E20 which is ultimately owned by City Hall which is run by London Mayor who is calling on the club to pay it and of course they do, to all full and part time staff.”

We await responses from E20 Stadium LLP and the London Mayor on the same question on London Stadium staff.