Andrew recently met with the Living Wage Foundation and Citizens UK, an alliance of civil society organisations, who are behind the campaign to encourage employers to pay the Living Wage. The Living Wage is £7.65 and calculated according to the basic cost of living in the UK. This compares to the minimum wage of £6.31 per hour. Employers choose to pay the Living Wage on a voluntary basis. The Living Wage Foundation encourage employers to pay the Living Wage as and when they feel able to. Andrew pays the living wage to all his staff.
Andrew was lobbied by young people from Citizens UK who have been campaigning to encourage large employers who can afford to, to pay the living wage. Andrew heard that despite multi-million weekly wage bills for their players, many premiership football teams are not paying the living wage to their cleaners or stewards.
Andrew says, “The Living Wage Foundation encourage employers to pay the living wage, but it’s important to emphasise that this is only if and when employers are able to afford it. They are not campaigning for it to become compulsory, but simply for employers to aspire to pay it as and when they can afford to. In particular they highlight the positive impact paying it can have on a business. Studies have also shown that paying the living wage can help business too by enhancing productivity, reducing absenteeism and reducing employee turnover.
“Obviously for a number of businesses, particularly small businesses, paying the living wage may not be affordable and that is why we have the minimum wage. I am keen to do all I can to encourage those bigger businesses that are making bigger profits, to share their profits more equally with their workers by adopting the living wage. Any business that already or plans to provide the Living Wage can become accredited as a Living Wage Employer by contacting the Living Wage Foundation for more details.
“It was great to meet the Living Wage Foundation and also the young people from Citizens UK and I look forward to working with them more in the future.”
Matthew Bolton, Deputy Director of Citizens UK says: “We are delighted that Andrew Percy is backing the Living Wage and has made sure that all of his staff receive it. We look forward to working with him to get more employers in Brigg and Goole and the Isle of Axholme signed up as proud Living Wage Employers, and to engaging with more politicians to promote the Living Wage.”
