Barclays to pay staff more than Boris's London minimum

Banking giant Barclays became the latest firm to sign up to the Mayor's increased minimum wage today.

Around 1,000 cleaning, mailroom, security and catering staff across 370 branches in the capital will benefit from the £7.73 an hour pay deal.

The announcement comes as Boris Johnson confirmed all Greater London Authority staff will be paid at least £7.45 an hour from November.

More than 2,000 staff directly employed by the GLA, including Transport for London, the Met police and the fire service, will qualify.

All organisations funded by the Mayor's London Development Agency will also be expected to pay the "London living wage" from next year. Mr Johnson said: "I have made it clear that I expect the London living wage to be the basic standard. But it is more employers setting the example for others to follow that will deliver a fair rate of pay for all.

"This is not only morally right but also makes good business sense, contributing to better recruitment and retention of staff, higher productivity and a more loyal workforce with higher morale."

The London living wage was brought in by Ken Livingstone but was increased to £7.45 an hour by Mr Johnson - nearly 35 per cent higher than the national minimum wage, which is £5.52 for those 22 and over.