Council calls for workers to get new rate Living Wage
Lower paid workers at Inverclyde Council are set to get a pay rise following an announcement this week that the Living Wage rate has been increased to £9.30 an hour.
Councillor Stephen McCabe, Leader of Inverclyde Council, has welcomed the news and is calling on local employers to join the council in rolling out the increase to local workers.
He said, “Poverty is a major issue in Inverclyde. Employment rights and wages have been steadily eroded to the point where many people are struggling to make ends meet despite being in full-time employment.
“The Living Wage is the only rate of pay based on the real cost of living. It provides a voluntary benchmark for employers who wish to ensure their staff earn a wage that they can actually live on, not just the government minimum. Inverclyde Council is the biggest employer in the area. We pay the Living Wage and we are an accredited Living Wage employer.
“The Living Wage aims to make sure workers are paid a fair and reasonable rate for the work they do, not just in the public sector but in the private sector too.
“The Living Wage goes beyond the National Minimum Wage. We are determined to lead by example by paying the new rate, by supporting our lowest paid workers and by upholding the concept of a Living Wage.
“I would urge local employers across Inverclyde, and the rest of the country, to follow our lead and adopt the Living Wage for their own employees.”
Inverclyde Council has been a fully accredited living wage employer since March 2016. The rate is significantly higher than the government minimum for over 25s, which currently stands at £8.21 per hour.
Since 2011 the Living Wage movement has delivered a pay rise to over 200,000 people and put over £1Billion extra into the pockets of low paid workers.