Greater Manchester recognised for Living Wage leadership with national award

• City-region’s leaders receive national award from Living Wage Foundation
• Greater Manchester has set out and delivered on plans to grow the number of Living Wage Employers and pay rises in the city-region

Greater Manchester was recognised for its leadership in securing fair pay for people working in the city-region at last night’s Living Wage Champion Awards.

The city-region received the Places Award at a ceremony held by the Living Wage Foundation in London on Tuesday July 5. The award commends Greater Manchester’s leaders for helping to grow the number of real Living Wage Employers and pay rises for workers.

A Living Wage City-Region action group, led by the Mayor of Greater Manchester, Andy Burnham, and the Chair of the Greater Manchester Local Enterprise Partnership (GM LEP), Lou Cordwell, was established in May last year to drive forward the plans to ensure everyone in the city-region is paid the living wage by the end of the decade.

Greater Manchester is the first city-region to be officially recognised by the Living Wage Foundation for its plans to become a Living Wage City-Region.

The number of accredited Living Wage Employers has quadrupled since the election of Andy Burnham as Mayor of Greater Manchester in 2017, with almost 500 employers in the city-region attaining Living Wage Employer status.

Andy Burnham, Mayor of Greater Manchester, said: “We’re proud to be recognised for our achievements in securing a fair day’s wage for a fair day’s work for people across Greater Manchester. With the cost-of-living crisis having a sharp impact on communities, our Living Wage City-Region plans are more vital than ever.

“While we’ve made great strides towards our initial targets, there’s still a lot more work to be done. Working through our Living Wage City-Region action group and Good Employment Charter, we will continue to tackle in-work poverty by making the case for the real Living Wage.”

The annual Living Wage Champion Awards celebrate notable employers that pay the Living Wage. This year they recognised the movement welcoming its 10,000th accredited Living Wage Employer. The awards were sponsored by Aviva and Everton FC.

Katherine Chapman, Director, Living Wage Foundation, said: “Despite the continuing challenges of the past two years, the Living Wage movement has never been stronger – we’ve continued to grow, welcoming our 10,000th employer, and tonight we come together to recognise some of the outstanding leadership these employers have shown.

“The Living Wage Champion Awards 2022 are a fantastic opportunity to celebrate the importance of a wage that covers the cost of living and the value this provides for workers and businesses, particularly during the cost-of-living crisis, and I warmly congratulate Greater Manchester on their deserved award.”

Article Published: 06/07/2022 11:53 AM