East Ayrshire Council is supporting Living Wage Week [November 15-19] after being accredited as a Living Wage Employer last year to ensure that people are paid fairly for the work they do.
The council achieved accredited living wage status in April 2020 after undergoing a rigorous application process.
The real Living Wage rate this year has largely been driven by sharply rising fuel and rent costs and has risen to £9.90 per hour, which is significantly higher than the government minimum for over 23s, which currently stands at £8.91 per hour.
Douglas Reid, Council Leader, said: “The council wholly supports the real Living Wage which, unlike the National Living Wage, is based on living costs including housing, fuel, food, childcare, transport and essential items of clothing, like winter coats for children.
“Since we are still in the midst of the Covid pandemic, it’s even more important that we provide employees and their families with some much-needed stability and security, and at a time of rising costs, the real Living Wage can offer some protection from these.”
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