From the voluntary sector, Emmaus, Jimmy’s, Cambridge Cyrenians and Cambridge Re-Use were quick to join up and become accredited Living Wage employers. Cambridge Organic Food Company, who became the first food distributor in the area to sign up to the initiative, was also awarded Living Wage accreditation.
In July ARM Ltd, one of Cambridge’s most successful companies, became the first IT company to be accredited in the city. Other recently accredited companies are Rainbow Vegetarian Café in King’s Parade and Cambridge BID, which is leading the way for the 1,100 businesses and organisations who form part of the Cambridge Business Improvement District.
These organisations joined 20 other Living Wage employers in the Cambridge area, including Cambridge City Council who signed up last year, Cambridge CAB, Caffe Sicilia, Clamp Optometrists and Abbeyfield care homes.
The Living Wage is an independently calculated figure based on the cost of living. In the UK the rate is currently £7.85p/h, whilst the London Living Wage is £9.15p/h, reflecting the higher costs of living in the capital. Both rates are paid to employees aged over 18, and are significantly higher than the national minimum wage rate £6.50p/h and go beyond the recently announced minimum wage premium for over 25s which will be £7.20p/h from April 2016.
The Living Wage rate is set by the Living Wage Foundation and uplifted annually in November. Accreditation is voluntary, and means that businesses commit to pay the Living Wage as a minimum not only to their directly employed staff but also to casual staff and contracted services. There are now over 1,700 accredited employers across the UK.
A recent poll by Nationwide, an accredited Living Wage employer and principal partner of the Living Wage Foundation, revealed that 87% of the public thought that those businesses that can, should pay the voluntary Living Wage and 58% would be more likely to use the goods and services of a company that paid its employees the Living Wage.
Contacts:
Cllr George Owers (Labour Group), Executive Councillor for Finance and Resources, email: george.owers@cambridge.gov.uk, tel: 07833 012979
Cllr Tim Bicks (Liberal Democrat Group), Opposition Spokesperson, email: tim.bick@btinternet.com, tel: 07720 413173
Theresa Bateman, Living Wage Coordinator, email: livingwage@cambridge.gov.uk, tel: 01223 457046