Celebrating our Living Wage status on St David’s Day

The City of Cardiff Council has been presented with a plaque to mark its status as a Living Wage employer. ‌​‌​‌​​​‍‌​‌​​‌‌‌‍‌​‌‌​​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌‌​​

The Council successfully gained Living Wage accreditation in November 2015 during the annual Living Wage Week. ‌​‌​‌​​​‍‌​‌​​‌‌‌‍‌​‌‌​​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌‌​​

Cardiff became the first Council in Wales to pay its entire workforce the Living Wage in September 2012 and since April 2015, all agency staff employed by the Council have also been paid the Living Wage. ‌​‌​‌​​​‍‌​‌​​‌‌‌‍‌​‌‌​​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌‌​​

The current Living Wage in the UK outside London is £8.25 per hour, £1.75 more than the national minimum wage. ‌​‌​‌​​​‍‌​‌​​‌‌‌‍‌​‌‌​​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌‌​​

Leader of the City of Cardiff Council, Cllr Phil Bale, was presented with the plaque at County Hall today (Tuesday, March 1). He was joined by Cabinet Member for Corporate Services and Performance, Cllr Graham Hinchey, City of Cardiff Council Chief Executive Paul Orders and members of the Council’s cleaning staff who have directly benefited from the Council paying the Living Wage to its employees.
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Cllr Bale said: “It’s was a significant achievement for the City Council when we gained Living Wage status last November and it gives me a great deal of pride to accept the Living Wage plaque from Citizens UK. The plaque will be displayed in County Hall so all visitors to the building will know that the City of Cardiff Council is a Living Wage employer. ‌​‌​‌​​​‍‌​‌​​‌‌‌‍‌​‌‌​​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌‌​​

“Everyone that the Council does business with will know that we are a Living Wage employer and in gaining the accreditation, we have committed to work closely with our contractors and other organisations that provide services on Council property to encourage them also to pay the Living Wage.” ‌​‌​‌​​​‍‌​‌​​‌‌‌‍‌​‌‌​​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌‌​​

Jonathan Cox, Lead Organiser of Citizens Cymru Wales, said: “We are delighted that the City of Cardiff Council has accredited as a Living Wage employer. It shows real commitment to improving the lives of low-paid workers – and while many employers talk the talk, the councillors and officials at Cardiff have really put their money where their mouth is. We hope that other employers in the capital will follow their example.” ‌​‌​‌​​​‍‌​‌​​‌‌‌‍‌​‌‌​​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌‌​​