Wage demo targets Olympic summit

London Citizens want a living wage for Olympic workers

Campaigners have staged a protest at an Olympic conference in an ongoing row over wages for 2012 Games workers.

The London Citizens group said up to 60 members turned out for the protest outside the £1,000-a-head gala event in Vauxhall, central London.

It argues that the Olympic Delivery Authority (ODA) has reneged on a deal to secure a London-weighted minimum wage of £7.05-an-hour for Games staff.

The ODA said the law does not allow a blanket policy on wages.

Games legacy

A spokesman denied that the ODA had "diluted" its commitment to the London living wage and said that it was committed to fairness.

"We...have always said that we would develop a fair employment policy for the Games, not that we would adopt it as a blanket policy across the project."

He said that a company's approach to employment conditions, including the living wage, were taken into account when deciding which contract offers the best value for money.

This campaign is to make sure the community benefits from the Games Neil Jameson, London Citizens

Olympic chiefs invited potential sponsors to the two-day conference to discuss the legacy of the Games.

But Neil Jameson, from London Citizens, said: "This conference is being held under the umbrella of legacy, but is it for the corporate legacy or the community?

"This campaign is to make sure the community benefits from the Games."

He said that assurances given about the living wage in 2004 are no longer being recognised.

"We want the tendering document, which is due to be published soon, to make it an obligation for companies to pay the living wage", he said.

The London Citizens group campaigns for a London living wage of £7.05 an hour, compared with the national minimum wage of £5.35 for those over the age of 22.