MORE than 3,000 council staff across Notts are paid less than the living wage – the amount needed to lead a "decent life".
Around 2,000 employees of Notts County Council are paid below £7.45 an hour – a sum considered to be the minimum amount deemed necessary to cover costs such as housing, food and utilities for themselves and their families.
And a further 940 from Nottingham City Council and 88 from Broxtowe Borough Council are paid below the living wage.
However, five councils across the county – Ashfield, Bassetlaw, Gedling, Newark and Sherwood and Mansfield – either already pay or will soon pay the wage.
The rate is worked out by the Living Wage Unit and is worked out every year.
At £7.45 an hour, it is higher than the UK's national minimum wage of £6.19 an hour for adults and £4.98 for 18-to 21-year-olds.
The campaign for local authorities to pay the living wage is being pushed by trade unions and a demonstration was held outside Nottingham City Council headquarters at Loxley House earlier this month.
Leading the campaign is Jean Thorpe, co-chairman of Nottingham Unison.
"The lowest paid workers are not being given enough to provide a decent standard of living – how is that acceptable in the 21st century?" she said.
Paul Martin, of the PCS union, said: "We're in a recession and businesses are shutting – if the public and private sector paid the living wage, we would have more people spending money in the high streets. I believe having the living wage is the right thing to do."
Councillor Michael Payne, deputy leader of Gedling Borough Council, agrees.
He said: "We want the living wage to become a real consideration for those who do business with us. We're also keen that Gedling becomes a living wage borough."
However, city council leader Jon Collins said: "Maintaining services and protecting jobs has to be our top priority. We're taking steps towards implementing the living wage to support the lowest-paid staff and will be discussing this further with the trade unions."
A city council spokesman added that the authority was looking at abolishing the lowest pay band – from £6.29 to £6.62 – and to look at implementing the living wage in future years.
Across the river at the county council, nearly one in four of their 9,590 workforce is paid below the living wage – the lowest salary is £6.31 an hour.
The authority said it has considered adopting the policy but has no immediate plans to implement it.
A spokesman for the council said: "It will not be adopting the living wage due to considerations of practicality and affordability."
But it's not only local authorities that are being asked to consider the living wage. A list of 100 companies to pay the living wage was announced during Living Wage Week in November.
The head of St Ann's-based communications company Emtel, John Townsend, said he was glad his employees are paid the living wage.
Mr Townsend, who set up the company in 2004, said: "Making employees feel valued comes down to more than what you pay them. You have to think of other factors, but pay does come into it and that's why I'm happy to pay my staff more than the living wage.
"That said, I can understand why some larger employers might not choose to pay the living wage and it's good that it remains optional."
This view was echoed by George Cowcher, Chief Executive of the Derbyshire and Notts Chamber of Commerce.
He said: "Many employers support the idea of a living wage and recognise the benefits it brings to their organisation, such as staff retention, increased morale and an improved reputation."
However, Mr Cowcher said he didn't believe the living wage should be enforced.
He added: "There is a danger that forcing businesses to pay above market rates could lead to a less competitive economy."
