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Liverpool Echo
Liverpool Echo
World
Ryan Paton

More than 300,000 workers set to receive pay rise today

More than 300,000 workers across the UK are set to receive a pay rise today.

The hourly rate for the voluntary Real Living Wage has increased by 40p to £9.90 for workers outside of London.

The Real Living Wage was launched by the Living Wage Foundation 20 years ago and is different to the National Living Wage of £8.91 an hour.

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The foundation estimate almost 9,000 employers across the UK pay the new rate - and workers paid the higher rate have benefited from more than £1.6 billion in extra wages since the campaign was founded.

One in 13 people now work for an accredited Living Wage employer - and more than 3,000 employers have been accredited with the Living Wage Foundation since the start of the pandemic.

The director of the foundation has spoken at how the higher rates will help give families greater security.

Katherine Chapman said: "With living costs rising so rapidly, today's new Living Wage rates will provide hundreds of thousands of workers and their families with greater security and stability.

She added: "For the past 20 years, the Living Wage movement has shaped the debate on low pay, showing what is possible when responsible employers step up and provide a wage that delivers dignity.

"Despite this, there are still millions trapped in working poverty, struggling to keep their heads above water and these are people working in jobs that kept society going during the pandemic like social care workers and cleaners."

The hourly rate is set to increase to £11.05 for workers in London. The foundation also announced that new employers signing up to pay the higher rates, including construction firms Taylor Wimpey and Persimmon Homes, Fujitsu, food delivery company Getir, and Capita.

Sarah Wadsworth, Fujitsu UK HR Director, said, "I am delighted that Fujitsu have signed as a Real Living Wage employer. This long-term commitment is not only the right thing to do for our employees but also ensures that our suppliers and partners are also planning to align to this for their employees.

She continued: "Fair pay for all employees continues to be relevant for our business as well as the benefits it brings to wider communities."

However, latest research from the the foundation also estimate 4.8 million jobs still pay less than the Real Living Wage.

TUC General Secretary Frances O'Grady said the report showed that low pay was "endemic", with millions of workers in jobs that don't pay the bills or put food on the table.

She added: "After 11 years of Conservative government, real wages are only just getting back to their 2009 level, and the Budget revealed we face another half decade of wage stagnation.

"With Britain in the middle of a cost-of-living crunch, it's time for the Government to act.

"Ministers must start by increasing the minimum wage to £10 immediately, banning zero hours contracts and giving trade unions greater access to workplaces to negotiate improved pay and conditions."

A Government spokesperson said: "The Government is determined to make work pay, having recently announced a significant rise in the National Living Wage from April 2022, to £9.50 an hour - the biggest increase since its introduction. We have also committed to further increases to the National Living Wage, to reach two thirds of average earnings by 2024.

"The minimum wages are a legal minimum, and we commend employers who are able to pay more, when they can afford to do so.

"We are committed to going even further to support workers, pushing ahead with plans to include a new right for all workers to request a more predictable contract from their employers, giving individuals the security they need."

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