Q&A

1. What's the City Corporation policy on the London Living Wage? As you can see from the Living Wage Foundation website we are an accredited LLW employer and this applies both to our own directly employed staff and those employed by contractors. We are pursuing a phased implementation to LLW across our corporate contracts.

2. What was the protest at the Barbican about? The Barbican is a department of the City of London Corporation and is covered by the above. Each year the Living Wage Foundation reviews and sets the annual rate for London and the rest of the UK from November. Living Wage accredited employers then have until 1 May the following year to implement the annual rise. Following the annual rate rise in November 2014, the City of London Corporation implemented the change in April 2015 and a number of people have protested about this timescale - which nevertheless fell within parameters for LLW accreditation. All Barbican staff and contractors continue to be paid the London Living Wage or above; this includes all cleaning staff employed by Mitie at the Barbican Centre site as part of a wider City of London Corporation contract.

3. What's your response to allegations of staff employed by a contractor being improperly-treated? We are committed to ensuring high levels of staff management and expect our own managers - and those of any contractors - to treat our/their staff properly. Anyone who feels ill-treated at work in any way should complain in the first instance to their employer, and then, with support of their advisers, avail themselves of the protection available under the law, particularly when concerning issues such as lawful union action.