Finding Common
Cause on Fair Pay
The TUC current
campaign to tackle wage inequality and the low wage economy is finding commoncause with a number of organisations across the country. Amongst these faith
communities are providing a significant voice for greater fairness and justice.
Fair Pay Fortnight falls as a new campaign on tax justice is being launched,
led jointly by Christian Aid and Church Action on Poverty (CAP) the campaign
aims to raise the issue of tax avoidance as a major factor in the growing
divide between rich and poor.
The motivation
for people of faith to get involved is a concern for the welfare of individuals
and communities, those most disadvantaged by the increasing inequality in our
economy, and a thirst for justice for all. The campaign is just the latest in a
long line of movements expressing concern for the poor and disadvantaged
stretching back to the campaign to abolish slavery and beyond. Although rooted
in the Christian faith the same concerns are shared with other faith traditions
and an important sense of partnership is developing in standing together on
such issues.
But the response
of faith communities is not just to join campaigns. As Industrial Missioner in
Worcestershire with Faith at Work in Worcestershire we promote chaplaincy to
those at work, encouraging, training and supporting local church members to be
chaplains. This means visiting a factory, warehouse, office, shop or wherever
people are at work. We have chaplains visiting fire stations, local council
offices, shopping centres and industrial estates. Perhaps once a fortnight a
chaplain pops in for a chat, and sometimes a cup of tea. It provides a chance
for workers to talk confidentially to someone outside of the workplace about
whatever is on their minds. This might be personal issues or concerns – illness
in the family, a bereavement – but is quite often about work and the workplace.
The agenda is always set by the workers, and it is entirely up to them if they want
to talk to the chaplain or not.
Chaplains don’t come
with miraculous solutions to the problems people face, but they are prepared to
listen, and it’s surprising how much talking about concerns can help. For the
chaplain it means being offered a real insight into what people in different
workplaces have to face. Low pay, long or unsocial hours, the insecurity people
face in their work, relationships with fellow workers, managers and staff and
much more. All this a chaplain is presented with. A chaplain is always careful
not to take sides – they are there for everybody who wants to use their
services. But inevitably chaplains are drawn into questions of justice and
fairness and such campaigns as promoting Credit Unions, challenging pay day
lenders – as the Archbishop of Canterbury has done recently - speaking out
against exploitation of off-shore workers in the supply chain, and campaigning
for a living wage. As chaplains we therefore welcome the TUC Campaign and are
pleased to support Fair Pay Fortnight.
Dick Johnson
Industrial
Missioner and Chaplain
