City Council shortlisted for Living Wage Champion Awards
Birmingham City Council has been shortlisted by the Living Wage Foundation for the Living Wage Champion Awards 2014.
The awards recognise Living Wage employers that have made great contributions to communities and industries by implementing and celebrating the Living Wage.
The Living Wage Foundation offers a recognition mark for employers that commit to paying the Living Wage. There are now over 900 accredited employers.
The Living Wage is an hourly rate set independently and updated annually. It 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.
The Living Wage was introduced for all council employees in 2012 by the incoming administration as its first act. But since then the council has used its procurement powers to extend the scheme much further.
Cllr Stewart Stacey, Cabinet Member for Commissioning, Contracting and Improvement at Birmingham City Council, said: “We believe in a fair day's pay for a fair day's work - the Living Wage assures this for hardworking council employees.
“But we think this is something that everyone in work should receive, which is why we have also made paying it a condition of winning any contract with the council through our Birmingham Business Charter for Social Responsibility.
“People earning the Living Wage are more likely to be better motivated employees and to spend their salary within their local community, boosting the local economy and creating more jobs in Birmingham: a virtuous circle.”
Living Wage Foundation Director, Rhys Moore said: “I would like to send huge congratulations to Birmingham City Council on being shortlisted for the Living Wage Champion Awards. The commitment of Living Wage Employers to responsible pay makes a real difference to families and communities across the country. We look forward to celebrating this even further when announcing the winners of the Awards during Living Wage Week.”
The Award Winners will be announced during Living Wage Week 2014, with one winner announced for each region of the UK: Scotland; Wales; Northern Ireland; the East Midlands; the West Midlands; the East of England; Yorkshire and the Humber; North East England; North West England; South East England; South West England; and London.
The awards are judged by an independent panel of community leaders from the Citizens UK Living Wage campaign.
ENDS
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Notes to Editors
About the Living Wage Foundation
The Living Wage is an hourly rate set independently and updated annually. The Living Wage is calculated according to the basic cost of living in the UK. Employers choose to pay the Living Wage on a voluntary basis.
The London Living Wage is currently £8.80 per hour. This figure is set annually by the Greater London Authority and covers all boroughs in Greater London. The UK Living Wage for outside of London is currently £7.65 per hour. This figure is set annually by the Centre for Research in Social Policy at Loughborough University.
The Living Wage Foundation recognises and celebrates the leadership shown by Living Wage employers across the UK. There are currently over 850 accredited employers. The LWF is an initiative of Citizens UK - and believes that work should be the surest way out of poverty.
