11 Nov 2019
Transport for Wales has today announced its accreditation as a Living Wage Employer.
The commitment will see everyone working at Transport for Wales receive a minimum hourly wage of £9.30. This is significantly higher than the UK government minimum for over 25s, which currently stands at £8.21 per hour.
Wales has one of the highest proportions of non-Living Wage jobs in the UK (24%), with around 268,000 jobs paying less than the real Living Wage. However, Transport for Wales has committed to pay the real Living Wage and deliver a fair day’s pay for a hard day’s work.
As a not-for-profit company wholly owned by the Welsh Government, TfW aims to deliver public investment with a social purpose that is fully aligned with Welsh Government Policy and brings benefits to the people of Wales, including their staff.
TfW has also developed a social partnership involving recognition of all relevant trade unions in the sectors that they operate in, creating a positive and progressive culture for staff and their representatives.
In the next few weeks TfW will also publish their Sustainability Development Plan where there are commitments to also paying their sub-contractors the Living Wage and suppliers will only be selected if they agree to pay their team members with the Living Wage.
Ken Skates, Minister for Economy and Transport, said:
“The Welsh Government committed to take forward the Fair Work Commission and the steps we need to take to make Wales a Fair Work nation, with payment of the real living wage in all companies receiving public funds as an early step. The number of companies implementing the living wage continues to grow and I’m pleased to see Transport for Wales becoming one of them.”
James Price, Transport for Wales CEO said:
“We are pleased to announce that Transport for Wales is now formally recognised as a Living Wage Employer. As we progress and evolve as an organisation, our staff will be essential to our success and we want all our staff to feel valued and have fulfilling careers.
“We are a modern organisation with a social purpose and as well as this announcement we have also committed to supporting community involvement through offering our staff up to three days paid leave to volunteer in their local community.”
Katherine Chapman, Director, Living Wage Foundation said:
“We’re delighted that Transport for Wales has joined the movement of over 5,500 responsible employers across the UK who voluntarily commit to go further than the government minimum to make sure all their staff earn enough to live on.
“They join thousands of small businesses, as well as household names such as IKEA, Heathrow Airport, Barclays, Chelsea and Everton Football Clubs and many more. These businesses recognise that paying the real Living Wage is the mark of a responsible employer and they, like Transport for Wales, believe that a hard day’s work deserves a fair day’s pay."
Notes to editors
About the Living Wage
The real Living Wage is the only rate calculated according to what people need to make ends meet. It provides a voluntary benchmark for employers that choose to take a stand by ensuring their staff earn a wage that meets the costs and pressures they face in their everyday lives.
The UK Living Wage is currently £9.00 per hour. There is a separate London Living Wage rate of £10.55 per hour to reflect the higher costs of transport, childcare and housing in the capital. These figures are calculated annually by the Resolution Foundation and overseen by the Living Wage Commission, based on the best available evidence on living standards in London and the UK.
The Living Wage Foundation is the organisation at the heart of the movement of businesses, organisations and individuals who campaign for the simple idea that a hard day’s work deserves a fair day’s pay. The Living Wage Foundation receives guidance and advice from the Living Wage Advisory Council. The Foundation is supported by our principal partners: Aviva; IKEA; Joseph Rowntree Foundation; KPMG; Linklaters; Nationwide; Nestle; Resolution Foundation; Oxfam; Trust for London; People’s Health Trust; and Queen Mary University of London.
What about the Government’s national living wage?
In July 2015 the Chancellor of the Exchequer announced that the UK Government would introduce a compulsory ‘national living wage’. This new government rate is a new minimum wage rate for staff over 25 years old. It was introduced in April 2016 and the rate is £8.21 per hour as of April 2019. The rate is different to the Living Wage rates calculated by the Living Wage Foundation. The government rate is based on median earnings while the Living Wage Foundation rates are calculated according to the cost of living in London and the UK.
