Joe GallopWhile a record number of night workers are receiving at least the London Living Wage, London’s Night Czar Amy Lamé has warned that the Home Secretary’s plans to raise the minimum salary needed for skilled overseas workers from £26,200 to £38,700 will cause significant long-term damage.
“We need Ministers to support and acknowledge the value the 1.3m night workers who keep our city working around the clock bring to our economy,” said Lamé.
According to new data, the number of workers in night time industries receiving at least the London Living Wage has risen to a record 80%, up from 72% in 2017. However more than a third (39%) of night time cultural and leisure workers are still paid below the London Living Wage.
Research from The Liminal Space has shown that those who work at night are 37% more likely to have a heart attack, 44% more likely to have diabetes and six times more likely to get divorced than those who work during the day.
The Mayor has called on Government to commission further research into how the impact of working at night can be reduced.
The Mayor announced Vauxhall, Bromley and Greenwich as his Night Time Enterprise Zones earlier this year to boost footfall in the area after 6pm. Since its launch, Vauxhall has seen visitor numbers increase by 28% for its #VauxhAllNight events, with its programme building on the area’s heritage of LGBTQI+ nightlife and hospitality businesses run by the Portuguese-speaking community of Little Portugal.
Lamé said, “I’m proud our game-changing Night Time Enterprise Zones provide a boost to businesses, communities and the wellbeing of night workers. In partnership with boroughs we are pioneering better ways of living, working and doing business after dark.
“Vauxhall is already a diverse and vibrant hub for food, culture and night life, so to see the #VauxhAllNight programme bringing people and businesses together at night is great for all Londoners.”