East Ayrshire Council is celebrating Living Wage Week after being accredited as a Living Wage Employer to ensure that people are paid fairly for the work they do.

The council welcomed the news in April that it had achieved accredited living wage status after undergoing a rigorous application process.

Now 350 of its third-party contracted employees will receive a real Living Wage, which is independently calculated each year and based on the cost of living.

For full time workers aged over 25, the real Living Wage means an extra £1,500 per year in wages compared to the government’s national living wage.

Council Leader Douglas Reid said: “The council wholly supports the real Living Wage which, unlike the national Living Wage, is based upon living costs including housing, food, childcare, transport and essential items of clothing, like winter coats for children.

“It’s also even more important during this pandemic that we provide employees and their families with some much-needed stability and security.

“We are proud to be accredited Living Wage employers more so than ever right now.”