WEST Yorkshire and York’s six council leaders have backed introducing the living wage.

Launching their low pay charter, No Silver Bullet - Doing more to support our lower paid workers, the leaders of Bradford, Calderdale, Kirklees, Leeds, Wakefield, and York said tackling low pay was one aspect of their concern.

The Charter sets out ten recommendations for the region where the councils can take a leadership role. It also acknowledges that true success will only come if private sector employers also recognise improvements in pay, economic resilience and good future growth.

West Yorkshire Combined Authority chairman Councillor Peter Box said the charter concentrated on three dimensions - pay, effects not linked to salary and the role of councils as leaders in society.

He added: "We are already ethical employers. However, we must look at how we work and our behaviours and systems through a new lens to make sure that at all points we are conscious of the needs of our lowest paid.

"This is critical if the people that fill these roles are to be supported to develop and progress in an environment where local authorities are changing rapidly. And what’s more, it is critical to the success of the future of local government. As such, there is nothing in this report that cannot be actioned and will not, when actioned, have a positive effect on our lowest paid."

No Silver Bullet also calls on the councils to use their influence to encourage local and regional businesses to do the same.

All six council leaders have backed the Charter which will now go back to individual local authorities to pick up the recommendations.