A Salford charity has announced it will help other charities become living wage employers.

To celebrate Salford’s success of being a living wage city, Salford CVS is offering to cover fees for a year for charities who would normally have to pay themselves to become accredited living wage employers.

The living wage is independently calculated by the Living Wage Foundation as it is based on what people need to live on when considering day-to-day costs and inflation.

Simon Robinson, grant manager at Salford CVS said: “We are proud to be real living wage employers and put an end to in-work pay poverty.”

The Living Wage Foundation recently announced the UK rate outside of London is £9.50 per hour. It is released every November and employers are expected to implement them within six-months.

To earn a certificate from the Living Wage Foundation, employers must pay a fee ranging from £60 to £460. It also coincides with Living Wage Week.

Salford CVS has been an accredited real living wage employer since 2013 and became an accredited living wage funder two-years ago.

Robinson continued: “We want to demonstrate leadership in the city by paying for other charity’s fees.

“The past ten-years have been difficult due to austerity. Usually the VCSE(Voluntary, Community, and Social Enterprise) sector struggles for funding and might not be able to pay the real living wage.

“It is a really desperate situation when employed people are having to go to food banks.

“We hope over the next few years all employers around Salford pay the real living wage.”

Last year Salford became the first city outside of London to adopt the real living wage.

To celebrate a year on, Salford City Mayor, Paul Dennett, said: “I’m very proud of Salford City’s success in adopting the real living wage.

“We’ve delivered the pay rise to 1,200 of our lowest paid workers – We’ve also encouraged 47 accredited living wage employers.”

 

Leave a Comment

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *