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The Office of the Police and Crime Commissioner (OPCC) for North Wales has been officially accredited as a Living Wage Employer. The Living Wage commitment means that everyone working at each accredited business receives a minimum hourly wage of £9.90, significantly higher than the UK Government minimum for over 23s, which currently stands at £9.50 per hour.
The real Living Wage is the only rate calculated according to the costs of living. It provides a voluntary benchmark for employers that wish to ensure their staff earn a wage they can live on, not just the government minimum. Since 2011 the Living Wage movement has delivered a pay rise to over 300,000 people and put over £1.6 billion extra into the pockets of low paid workers.
Stephen Hughes, CEO, OPCC commented: “We are delighted to receive accreditation as a Living Wage Employer. Across Wales almost a fifth of all workers earn less than they need to get by, with around 223,000 jobs paying less than the real Living Wage. At the OPCC we are determined to do our bit to help change this and commit to always paying the real Living Wage and delivering a fair day’s pay for a hard day’s work for our staff.”
Katherine Chapman, Director, Living Wage Foundation said: “We’re delighted that the Office of The Police and Crime Commissioner for North Wales has joined the movement of almost 9,000 responsible employers across the UK who voluntarily commit to go further than the UK Government minimum to make sure all their staff earn enough to live on.
“They join thousands of small businesses, as well as household names such as Burberry, Barclays, Everton Football Club and many more. These businesses recognise that paying the real Living Wage is the mark of a responsible employer and they, like the OPCC for North Wales, believe that a hard day’s work deserves a fair day’s pay."