The TUC’s general secretary is joining the Archbishop of Canterbury and leaders of different faiths at a national summit in London’s deprived East End calling for a more inclusive economy to tackle the recession.

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Frances O’Grady shares the platform with Archbishop Justin Welby in keynote addresses at the summit being staged at Queen Mary’s university college in Mile End on Wednesday.

She is calling on the summit for a broad citizens’ alliance to press for fair pay and an economy “that works for communities and families—not just the City.”

She added: “Ordinary workers are facing a fourth successive year of real wage cuts.

“There’s a growing sense of injustice about the share of national wealth going to those at the top.

“Five million people earn less than the living wage and there’s mounting evidence that the living standards crisis is holding our recovery back.”

The summit aims to build a diverse alliance to influence the 2015 General Election and create a new wave of social action for the next decade.

The gathering, set up by London Citizens UK organisation based at Whitechapel, aims to deal with the concerns confronting society.

London Citizens founder and director Neil Jameson said: “We are bringing together national leaders from civic organisations, trade union movement, educational establishments and faith institutions to strengthen our democracy—the key to a healthy democracy is a strong and organised civil society.”

Other religious leaders taking part are the Roman Catholic Archbishop of Westminster Vincent Nichols, Muslim Council of Britain Secretary General Farooq Murad, Liberal Jewish chief executive Rabbi Danny Rich, Reform Judaism’s Rabbi Laura Janner-Klausner and Masorti Judaism chief executive Matt Plen.

Also addressing the conference is Queen Mary’s college principal Simon Gaskell. The college was the first to become a Living Wage university employer in 2006. It also runs an MA course in Community Organising, in partnership with London Citizens UK, that gives practical experience with the theory of politics.