Living Wage to support more low-income families
Birmingham City Council is set to become the first local authority nationally to pay the Living Wage to externally-contracted care sector workers from October of this year.
The news comes in the same week that the Living Wage was extended by the council to cover agency staff, ensuring more employees than ever are now getting a fair day's pay for a fair day's work.
Reviewed annually by the Living Wage Foundation, the rate (increased by 20p on April 1 to £7.65 per hour) is a level of pay deemed as essential to ensure the basic cost of living can be met by a worker. It compares favourably to the current UK minimum wage of £6.31.
Birmingham's latest roll out for agency workers covers approximately 950 staff and the move honours a long-standing pledge from the city council, which first rolled out the Living Wage to approximately 3,000 in-house staff in the summer of 2012.
Cllr Ian Ward, Deputy Leader of Birmingham City Council, said: “It is well-documented that Birmingham faces major issues related to deprivation, so we are keen to lift as many people as possible from the risks and problems linked to poverty by ensuring they get paid adequately.
“I am therefore delighted we are going to be leading the way by paying the Living Wage to externally-contracted care workers later this year.
“We want to end a situation where we place those we love dearest into the care of those who are paid the least. It's not giving them the best chance of the best care possible, so we need to take action in the most effective way possible.”
ENDS
For more media information please contact Kris Kowalewski on 0121 303 3621
