THE British Airways i360 team has come under fire after it was revealed that contracted employees will not receive the Brighton and Hove Living Wage.

Waiting staff are set to receive less than £8.25 per hour when the tourist attraction opens despite the venue signing up to be a living wage employer almost two years ago.

Union leaders slammed the 162 metre attraction’s bosses for paying “poverty wages” and demanded all staff be paid £10 an hour.

Labour figures said the party would consider boycotting the £46.2 million venue if contracted workers were not paid a Brighton and Hove Living Wage.

The public war of words follows an advert for waiting staff working in the i360’s brasserie, tea rooms, beach café, pod and private dining rooms which went live this week from contractors Heritage Portfolio with wages starting from £7.20 per hour.

i360 chief executive Eleanor Harris said the caterer contract was signed months before the firm committed to be a living wage employer in November 2014.

The GMB also revealed that a second firm based at the attraction, photography company Magic Memories, is also not paying staff the Brighton and Hove Living Wage.

Mark Turner, branch secretary of GMB Sussex, said “It’s easy for British Airways i360 to claim to be a living wage company when they outsource low paid jobs like catering to other companies.

“If British Airways i360 do not resolve this issue of low pay, the GMB will be forced to call for a boycott of the venue."

Brighton, Hove and District Labour Party chairman Lloyd Russell-Moyle said it was not too late for Heritage Portfolio to “rectify their mistake” and sign up as a living wage employer or “re-advertise” their Brighton posts at the living wage.

The party is due to hold four days of events at the venue when the Labour autumn conference comes to the city next year but Mr Russell-Moyle indicated that could now be under threat.

He said: "Labour will have to think long and hard about using the services and I'm sure others would do that same which could cause a loss on trade for the i360 and the city - something none of us want.

“The BA i360 was built with public loans and a commitment was given to be a living wage employer.

“It causes reputational damage to British Airways, the i360 and the city if they then renege on that by using contractors and outsourcing to organisations that don't pay the living wage."

Ms Harris told one Twitter user that “berating us is not persuasive to encourage other companies” to sign up.

She added: “British Airways i360 will be directly employing approximately 60 full time and around 20 part time staff and they will all be paid at least the Living Wage.

“We are very proud to commit to pay at least the Living Wage to all our employees and this includes new graduate recruits.”

Brighton and Hove City Council leader Warren Morgan said the authority has no power, under the agreements passed by the previous Green administration, to impose pay rates on any private company.

He added: “The BA i360 pledged 18 months ago to pay its staff the Brighton and Hove Living Wage of £8.25 an hour, and I’m pleased they are honouring that commitment with their 80 directly employed staff. 

“They are amongst the first in the tourism sector to do so, but like most in the catering and hospitality sector, their restaurant provider Heritage Portfolio won’t be paying the Brighton and Hove Living Wage.

“We’ve backed the Brighton and Hove Living Wage campaign since the start, and it is important that as many employers as possible across all sectors are encouraged to pay their staff a wage that enables them to live in the city and play a full part in our local economy.”