GRAHAM HISCOTT Raise a glass to fair paying firms Drinks giant joins FTSE 33

A THIRD of Britain’s biggest firms have now pledged to pay a proper living wage.

Drinks giant Diageo, which makes Guinness and Smirnoff, yesterday became the latest major employer to sign up to the

Living Wage Foundation’s recommended pay rates.

It will see all UK staff and contractors get a minimum hourly wage of £8.45, and £9.75 in London. That’s more than the Government’s living wage of £7.50 for over 25 year olds.

Diageo’s pledge means that 33 of the FTSE 100 companies now pay the higher voluntary rates.

Others include Barclays, British Gas, ITV, Lloyds Banking Group, SSE and Unilever.

However, it still means that two-thirds of the FTSE 100 have not signed up.

Pressure is mounting on these mega-wealthy firms – which between them employ many hundreds of thousands of people – to follow suit.

Diageo employs around 5,000 workers in the UK.

David Cutter, Diageo’s president of global supply and procurement, said: “We value all our employees, working both directly and indirectly at our sites across the UK.”

Katherine Chapman, director of the Living Wage Foundation, said: “The living wage movement comprises 3,400 UK employers who choose to go further than the Government minimum to make sure all their staff earn enough to live on.

“We have lots of small businesses, as well as big household names like Ikea, Aviva, Chelsea and Everton football clubs, and many more.”