LETTER TO MANCHESTER UNITED AND MANCHESTER CITY CEOS

Dear Ferran Soriano and Ed Woodward,

Ahead of Living Wage Week next week, we’re writing to ask you to do the right thing on behalf of the lowest paid staff at your clubs. Please confirm that you will accredit with the Living Wage Foundation and commit to paying all staff, including outsourced staff, the real Living Wage.

Both clubs are loved by so many in the city, and many have been inspired by the vital work your clubs have done during the pandemic, especially the incredible campaign led by Marcus Rashford MBE to tackle child food poverty. But the reality is that many of your own staff, including caterers and cleaners, are themselves struggling to put food on the table because they don’t earn the real Living Wage.

Today food banks in Manchester have publicly joined long standing calls for your clubs to tackle poverty amongst workers and pay staff and all contractors a real Living Wage.

This weekend (7th/8th Nov), on the weekend before Living Wage Week, both Manchester clubs will be playing against rival teams from Merseyside who are both proud Living Wage accredited employers. Everton FC and Liverpool FC were the first two Premier League clubs to accredit and have since been followed by West Ham, Chelsea and Crystal Palace.

We believe Manchester can and should be just as proud as Merseyside at the efforts of two of our wealthiest and most famous employers to tackle poverty. That starts with a Living Wage workforce.

Today we urge you to join them, do the right thing by your staff and supporters, and become Living Wage employers without delay.  

Yours Sincerely,

Greater Manchester Citizens

MCFC Fans Foodbank Support

Manchester Central Foodbank

Manchester Reform Synagogue

University of Manchester Students Union

Cheadle Mosque

UNISON North West

Levenshulme High School

Catholic Diocese of Salford

Manchester & Stockport Methodists

Manchester Vineyard

Caritas Salford