210,000 people to get pre-Christmas pay rise because of living wage

More than 210,000 workers across the UK will receive a pre-Christmas pay bump if their employer is part of the Living Wage Foundation..

The foundation, which is a charity, encourages companies to raise pay packets to meet the cost demands of day to day life in the UK, and after assessing the rise of the cost of living, will see signatories raise their minimum hourly rate to £9.30 across the majority of the nation.

The pay increase means a full time worker will be paid an extra £2,000 on top of the government’s minimum wage.

Meanwhile in London, companies signed up to the charity are expected to increase salaries to £10.75 an hour – or £5,000 extra a year.

Unlike the National Living Wage (NLW) which is set by government, the real living wage rate is calculated independently based on the cost of living – reacting to fluctuations in rent, utility and food prices.

The steep rent increases in the capital meant the rate increased by 30p in London, compared to 20p on the previous year for the rest of the country.

Living Wage Foundation Director, Katherine Chapman, said: “In this time of uncertainty today’s new Living Wage rates give a boost to hundreds of thousands of UK workers.

“Good businesses know that the real Living Wage means happier, healthier and more motivated workers, and that providing workers with financial security is not only the right thing to do, but has real business benefits.”

The charity currently works with more than 6,000 employers, including Hiscox, Crystal Palace Football Club, Welsh Water, London City Airport and Newcastle University.

Karren Brady, chairman of West Ham United, another signatory, added: “Embracing the London Living Wage means we recognise the contribution of each and every employee at the club.

“As a collective, the staff at West Ham United are our most valuable asset, and rewarding and retaining them is a critically important.

“The Living Wage forms part of a wider programme of activity for our employees, focused on developing all our people, so that we can promote from within and maintain a culture whereby everyone working at West Ham has opportunities to succeed and drive their own careers.”

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