Living Wage to be paid at Welsh council

Swansea Council is set to introduce a Living Wage for around 3,000 of its lowest paid workers next month, earlier than expected.

The agreement will mean that no member of staff at the council will be paid less than £7.45 an hour; the payment will also be back-dated to April this year.

Althea Phillips, organiser for the GMB general union, said, “This is very good news from Swansea Council and will be much appreciated by its employees. GMB agreed the introduction of a Living Wage with Swansea Council a while ago. Then recently GMB requested that because of the delay in implementation of single status, it pay the Living Wage now rather than wait for April 2014.

David Phillips, leader of the council, said: “Our lowest-paid staff are doing some of the most important and challenging jobs in the council, and we believe they should be paid a decent salary for their work.

“This is about making sure people have a decent wage, but I also hope it will provide a boost to the local economy because people will have a little extra money to spend in local shops and businesses.”

Many of the council’s lowest-paid staff, traditionally those working in catering, cleaning and care, stand to gain the most.

www.gmb.org.uk/newsroom/swansea-council-pay-living-wage

www.swansea.gov.uk/index.cfm?articleid=56381