MP welcomes rise in “Real Living Wage” rates

WARRINGTON North MP Helen Jones has welcomed the announcement of new “Real Living Wage” rates.
The new rate is £9 per hour – £1.17 per hour more than the Government’s minimum wage.
The MP, a long standing supporter of the Living wage Foundation, said:
“I very much welcome the announcement of the new rates. However, it is still the case that one in five people earn less than the wage they need to get by. “Over 4,700 employers across the UK are choosing to pay the Real Living Wage to ensure all staff, including sub-contracted workers, earn a wage that meets the real cost of living.”
According to Ms Jones, new research shows that £810m in extra wages has gone to low-paid workers because of the Living Wage movement.
The Real Living Wage rates are the only rates independently calculated based on what people need to live in the UK and this year’s increase has been largely driven by higher transport costs, private rents and council tax feeding through to the basket of goods and services that underpin the rates.
But more than a fifth of jobs pay less than the Real Living Wage, with 1.2 million more jobs paying below the Real Living wage since 2012, which means much more needs to be done to persuade employers to join the scheme.
“Recently published figures highlighting the huge deprivation gap across Warrington can, in part, be tackled if employers ensure they pay the Real Living Wage.”