Dumfries and Galloway Council was accredited with becoming a Living Wage Employer today (30 June 2015). Peter Kelly, Director of the Poverty Alliance, presented the award to the Council Leader. A number of Council employees who have benefitted from the living wage joined the Leader for the presentation.
The Living Wage is an hourly rate set independently and updated annually. The Living Wage is calculated according to the basic cost of living using the ‘Minimum Income Standard’ for the UK. Decisions about what to include in this standard are set by the public; it is a social consensus about what people need to make ends meet.
Dumfries and Galloway Council Leader, Ronnie Nicholson, said:
“Last week, our Council approved a new anti-poverty strategy for Dumfries and Galloway. The strategy sets out what we will do to improve the lives of people in our region experiencing poverty, in all its forms. The strategy aims to tackle this through by creating actions that will address the causes of poverty. Our Council considers the Living Wage as the single most important contribution to tackling poverty across the region. Dumfries and Galloway is the lowest paid region in Scotland. I am proud that this council is playing its part in tackling that problem by delivering a Living Wage for our staff. But I want to see that rolled out to as many workers across our region through our partners and contractors. Therefore, we will be promoting Living Wage accreditation to all organisations in our region across the public, third and private sectors.”
Peter Kelly, Director of the Poverty Alliance said:
“Congratulations to both Dumfries and Galloway Council on becoming accredited Living Wage employers. Local authorities play a vital role by setting an example for employers in their area. By signing up to the Accreditation Initiative, Dumfries and Galloway Council have ensured that all of their of employees will always get paid at least the Living Wage. It is great to see more and more organisations – of all shapes and sizes – signing up to accreditation and recognising the role of employers in tackling in work poverty.”
