Council Receives Accreditation as Living Wage Employer

This means that everyone working at the council aged 18 or over, except apprentices, is now paid a minimum hourly wage of £12.60, higher than the Government minimum for over-21s, which is currently £12.21.

The ‘real Living Wage’ is the only UK wage rate calculated independently based on the cost of living.

It is calculated annually by think tank the Resolution Foundation and aims to give employers the confidence that they are paying wages that meet every day needs.

Around 510,000 jobs in the North West, that’s nearly 17 per cent, pay less than the real Living Wage.

But Ribble Valley councillors have decided that they want to provide a decent standard of living for qualifying council workers by paying them the real Living Wage.

Rosie Elms, chairman of the council’s personnel committee, said:

“We know that paying a real Living Wage helps employers differentiate themselves in competitive markets, retain existing staff and attract new staff, and when employees thrive organisations thrive, too.

 

“The real Living Wage has transformed millions of people’s lives around the UK and we are delighted to be part of that movement.”

Katherine Chapman, director of the Living Wage Foundation, added:

“We are delighted that Ribble Valley Borough Council has joined the movement of over 16,000 responsible employers across the UK, who voluntarily commit to go further than the Government minimum to ensure their staff earn enough to live on.

 

“The council has joined thousands of businesses and organisations across the UK, who recognise that paying the real Living Wage is the mark of a responsible employer and that everyone deserves a decent standard of living.”

The real Living Wage remains the only UK wage rate independently calculated based on the cost of living.

The rates are calculated annually by the Resolution Foundation and overseen by the Living Wage Commission based on the latest evidence on living standards in the UK and London.