Cllr Hinchey With County Hall Canteen Staff, Who Benefit From The Living Wage

The City of Cardiff Council is seeking the support of businesses and organisations in the city to achieve ‘Living Wage city’ status for the capital. ‌​‌​‌​​​‍‌​‌​​‌‌‌‍‌​‌‌​​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌‌​​

The Living Wage is an independently-set hourly rate, currently standing at £8.25, which is paid by employers on a voluntary basis and calculated according to the basic cost of living in the UK. ‌​‌​‌​​​‍‌​‌​​‌‌‌‍‌​‌‌​​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌‌​​

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. ‌​‌​‌​​​‍‌​‌​​‌‌‌‍‌​‌‌​​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌‌​​

In November 2015, the Council successfully gained Living Wage accreditation during the annual Living Wage Week and is now encouraging its contractors and suppliers as well as its partners and the wider local business community to pay the Living Wage to their employees as well. ‌​‌​‌​​​‍‌​‌​​‌‌‌‍‌​‌‌​​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌‌​​

Cabinet Member for Corporate Services and Performance, Cllr Graham Hinchey, said: “The City of Cardiff Council wholeheartedly supports the aim of the Living Wage, in that no-one should have to do a day’s work for less than they can live on. ‌​‌​‌​​​‍‌​‌​​‌‌‌‍‌​‌‌​​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌‌​​

“As an authority, we believe that paying the Living Wage is a key indicator of an employer’s commitment to fair work practices and that’s why I’ve written to companies and organisations we work with to explain the benefits of becoming a Living Wage employer and seek their support in making Cardiff a Living Wage city.” ‌​‌​‌​​​‍‌​‌​​‌‌‌‍‌​‌‌​​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌‌​​

Leader of the City of Cardiff Council, Cllr Phil Bale, said: “It was a significant achievement for the City of Cardiff Council when we gained Living Wage status in November 2015. 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.” ‌​‌​‌​​​‍‌​‌​​‌‌‌‍‌​‌‌​​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌‌​​

The Council has also recently submitted an application for a Living Wage Champion award which celebrates organisations that have done the most to implement, promote and celebrate the Living Wage in their regions during 2016. ‌​‌​‌​​​‍‌​‌​​‌‌‌‍‌​‌‌​​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌‌​​