The Living Wage Foundation is pleased to announce that West Cheshire
Foodbank, has this month, September 2015, been accredited as a
Living Wage employer.
West Cheshire Foodbank has always met
the criteria set by the Living Wage Foundation, which means that staff at the
charity, regardless of whether they are permanent employees or third-party
contractors and suppliers; receive a minimum hourly wage of £7.85 or above - significantly
higher than the national minimum wage of £6.50.
Rev. Christine Jones, Chair of Trustees at West Cheshire Foodbank, a local charity that employs three part-time staff, said: “We’re delighted that we’re now an
accredited UK Living Wage Employer. We know from our own experience and
research that local families can go hungry when their incomes are low and
insecure. We have always paid a living wage, but this independent, third-party
accreditation demonstrates our ongoing commitment to look after our employees
in the same way that we hope neighbouring churches, charities and businesses
will, to ensure that no-one needs a foodbank because work doesn’t pay.”
The Living Wage is an hourly rate set
independently and updated annually. The Living Wage is calculated according to
the basic cost of living using the ‘Minimum Income Standard’ for the UK.
Decisions about what to include in this standard are set by the public; it is a
social consensus about what people need to make ends meet.
Employers choose
to pay the Living Wage on a voluntary basis. The Living Wage enjoys cross party
support, with public backing from the Prime Minister and the Leader of the
Opposition.
Living Wage Foundation Director, Rhys Moore said:
“We are delighted to welcome West
Cheshire Foodbank to the Living Wage movement as an accredited employer.
The best employers are voluntarily
signing up to pay the Living Wage now. The Living Wage is a robust calculation
that reflects the real cost of living, rewarding a hard day’s work with a fair
day’s pay.
We have accredited over 1,700 leading employers, including West
Cheshire Foodbank, ranging from independent printers, hairdressers and
breweries, to well-known companies such as Nationwide, Aviva and SSE. These
businesses recognise that clinging to the national minimum wage is not good for
business. Customers expect better than that. "
