Dundee’s most recently accredited Living Wage employers gathered at Social Enterprise ‘The Circle’ today to host a visit from Jamie Hepburn, the Scottish Government Minister for Business, Fair Work & Skills.
Mr. Hepburn met with staff from The Circle alongside representatives from Coldside Medical Practice, cleaning company Star Clean, vegan café Marwick’s, mental health charity Feeling Strong and arts charity Creative Dundee.
Their Living
Wage accreditation ensures all staff and regular contracted workers earn the real
Living Wage rather than significantly lower statutory minimum wage rates.
Together these 6 small organisations employ 47 workers, 24 of whom have
received a welcome pay boost to the real Living Wage, currently set at £9.00
per hour.
Mr. Hepburn met
workers earning the real Living Wage and spoke with employers on the importance
of the real Living Wage.
Sekai Machache,
who works at The Circle and earns the real Living Wage, said:
“I feel that
being paid the Living Wage is important because it makes you feel more valued
by your employer. It’s their way of showing that they want you to thrive and
not just survive”.
Fair Work
Minister Jamie Hepburn said:
“I welcome
the opportunity to congratulate Dundee’s latest Living Wage accredited
employers. This follows Dundee being recognised in March as Scotland’s first
city to demonstrate its commitment to becoming a Living Wage city.
“I am proud
that Scotland has the highest proportion of people paid the living wage of any
UK nation and I encourage all businesses to commit to doing the same for their
employees. Paying the real Living Wage and becoming accredited treats people
fairly, benefits the economy and sends a positive signal about the organisation
into the wider community.”
Dundee’s City
recognition as part of the new ‘Making Living Wage Places’ scheme was awarded
in March 2019 when a group of prominent Dundee employers joined forces to form
the Dundee Living Wage City Action Group and launched their 3-year Action Plan
to begin ‘Making Dundee a Living Wage City’.
Dundee City
Council Councillor Lynne Short, Convener of City Development Committee said:
“I am pleased
that these local employers have so quickly demonstrated that they too share the
vision of Making Dundee a Living Wage City.
“Every
employer in Dundee can help tackle low pay in the City, and the Dundee Living
Wage City Action Group are available to help and guide local employers through
any challenges they might face in committing to the real Living Wage.
“Lots of
businesses in the city already pay the real Living Wage and I want to encourage
them to seek accreditation and move Dundee a step closer to achieving our goal
of becoming the first Living Wage City.”
Lynn Anderson,
National Coordinator for the Making Living Wage Places scheme in Scotland said:
“Dundee are
the first City to begin delivering their ‘Making Living Wage Places’ plan, which
has already resulted in a spike in awareness and interest from employers on
becoming Living Wage accredited.
We call upon prominent local employers in Towns and Cities across Scotland to step forward to begin their journey with us on Making Living Wage Places too.”
Media
Contact:
Julie McGahan,
Living Wage Scotland Manager: julie.mcgahan@povertyalliance.org
