Association’s Real Living Wage pledge
A local housing association has agreed to pay its staff the latest Real Living Wage.
Kingdom Housing Association will implement the new rate as of April 1.
Research by KPMG has found there are 380,000 jobs in Scotland, or 17 per cent, that are still paying less than the Real Living Wage.
However, Kingdom has said it is committed to paying its staff £9.30 an hour, which is £1.09 per hour more than the government’s minimum wage for over 25s.
On average, a worker paid the Real Living Wage of £9.30 will earn £2000 a year more than someone earning the UK Government’s minimum of £8.21 an hour, which is enough to cover a typical family’s food and drink bill for nine months.
Bill Banks, Kingdom Group’s chief executive, said:“One of our strategic objectives at Kingdom is to be an employer of choice so the rates we pay reflect the importance we place on our people.
“Being an accredited Living Wage employer is really important for us as it signals, not only to our staff, but also to the wider community, that Kingdom is now, and will always be, a socially responsible organisation.”
Peter Kelly, director of the Poverty Alliance, added: “The Real Living Wage is a vital component in the fight against in-work poverty.
“Workers need a wage that reflects the cost of living, but too many workers across Scotland are locked into poverty.
“That’s why it’s more important than ever for leading employers to join the growing movement of businesses and organisations that are going further than the UK Government minimum and making sure their employees earn enough to cover the cost of living.”