A Cumbrian council has called on the Government to bring forward its plans to increase the national living wage to £10.50 an hour.
On Tuesday Carlisle City Council agreed to write to the Government asking that the increase – set to come into force by 2024 – would be brought forward.
It also agreed to call on the Government to reconsider its decision to remove the temporary uplift to universal credit, funded by a freeze on universal credit and the increases to the national living wage.
Already the job market across many sectors in Carlisle is heating up with notices of “sign-on bonuses” of a thousand pounds or more on display in the city.
The Conservative deputy leader of Carlisle City Council Gareth Ellis said: “An economy for two decades based on an endless supply of cheap unskilled labour from overseas is now adjusting to having to pay people better, train their own workforce and improve job security, this can only be a good thing for the people of Carlisle.”
The councillor responsible for economic development, Conservative Paul Nedved said: “We are seeing £300 million of public money coming to Carlisle over the next few years, and we are determined to make Carlisle an attractive place.
“Attractive for large and small companies to come and do business. Encouraging new investment with high paid permanent jobs to Carlisle is what we need and it is what we intend to do.”
