Living Wage for contractor staff

Southampton Solent University has made a commitment that the university’s main contractors will pay the Living Wage, so as to ensure that nobody working on campus is paid below it.

The public service union UNISON, which has been actively campaigning for the introduction of the Living Wage for employees of the contractors that operate within the university, welcomed the move as an important step forward.

UNISON regional organiser James Smith said: “This decision will uplift the pay of the lowest-paid staff who provide key services to the university and its students.

“It has the potential to alleviate some of the financial pressures experienced by our members due to the increased cost of living in recent years. This measure will be good for the local economy and follows the decision of other large local employers in Southampton — such as the Labour-led Southampton City Council — to pay the Living Wage to its staff.”

All of the university’s directly-employed staff are already paid above the present Living Wage rate of £7.85 an hour outside of London. The three main contract service partners will make the uplift in wages to their staff working across the Solent campuses.

The Living Wage rate is being introduced in two stages: the first increase will be made on 1 August 2015, with full alignment in September 2016. The decision has the potential to affect cleaning, maintenance and catering staff who provide services within the university sites.

www.unison.org.uk/news/southampton-solent-university-move-on-living-wage-welcomed

http://official.blog.solent.ac.uk/press-releases/living-wage-deal-for-southampton-solent-contractor-employees