The real Living Wage has gone up by 4.8% to £14.10 across the UK and up by 4.4% to £15.45 in London, for all workers over the age of 18. These rates are calculated by the real Living Wage Foundation.
As a real Living Wage employer, we advocate for all organisations using our Roots to Work job platform to pay a real Living Wage as it allows workers to live with dignity and security. The Government's National Living Wage falls below this rate of £12.71 an hour (with no London weighting) which represents an annual salary different of £2,700 across the UK and £5,300 in London.
We recognise the struggles that many employers are facing with rising rent, rate, energy and employment costs. However, that does not mean that employees should suffer due to systemic inequalities. Research by the Living Wage Foundation found that nearly 60% of workers earning below the real Living Wage have skipped meals, turned off heating, or fallen behind on bills to afford basic living costs. Food insecurity is driven by poverty and without fairer wages and more secure work thousands more families will continue to be undernourished.
And looking at the food system workforce, none of the major UK supermarket chains are accredited real Living Wage employers demonstrating one of many reasons that prices can be kept unrealistically low. Businesses can benefit from paying people fairly. 68% of employers have told the Foundation that paying a real Living Wage has improved their recruitment outcomes. And over a third of employers also reported that the Living Wage helped the organisation secure contracts and funding.
We call on all food sector employees to pay workers fairly. If you are an employer, you can explore resources published by the Living Wage Foundation to support you to become a real Living Wage employer.
Search for Living Wage employers on our jobs listings at www.rootstowork.org/jobs.
