Greater Manchester Combined Authority celebrates living wage commitment

THE Greater Manchester Combined Authority is pleased to announce that it has been accredited as a Living Wage employer.

As a Living Wage employer, the Combined Authority commits to paying all direct employees the Living Wage and working with its third party contractors to ensure that their staff earn the Living Wage as well.

The new Living Wage rate, announced today by the Living Wage Foundation, is £8.75 per hour: significantly more than the statutory minimum for over 25s, of £7.50 per hour, which was introduced in April 2017.

Eamonn Boylan, Chief Executive at the Combined Authority said: “The accreditation is a signal of our commitment to continuing to be a good employer who will work to improve employment conditions and wage levels.”

Mayor of Greater Manchester, Andy Burnham, said: “As Mayor, I am proud to say that the Greater Manchester Combined Authority is now a Living Wage employer and I would like to thank all of the team here for making it happen.

“We are living in a time of growing inequality and instead of large pay rises at the top, we need to see real action to raise wages of people who often work the hardest but are paid the least.

“Being Living Wage accredited is a step in the right direction, hopefully paving the way for other organisations in the region to follow suit.”

Living Wage Foundation Director, Katherine Chapman said:  “The new Living Wage rates announced today will bring relief for thousands of workers in the North West being squeezed by stagnant wages and rising inflation. It’s thanks to the leadership of over 3,600 employers across the UK who are committed to paying all their staff, including cleaners and security staff, a real Living Wage.

“In-work poverty is today’s story. Recent figures show that 5.5 million people are still paid less than the real Living Wage – it’s fantastic that this year alone over a thousand more employers have chosen to go beyond the legal minimum and pay a real Living Wage, putting fairness and respect at the heart of their business.”