ARMAC MARTIN CELEBRATES COMMITMENT TO REAL LIVING WAGE
Armac Martin is accredited as a Living Wage Employer. Their Living Wage commitment will see everyone working at Armac Martin receive a minimum hourly wage of £9.90, significantly higher than the government minimum for over 23s, which currently stands at £9.50 per hour.
Armac Martin is based in the West Midlands, a region where almost a fifth of all workers (19.3%) earn less than they need to earn to get by, with around 434,000 jobs paying less than the real Living Wage. Despite this, Armac Martin has committed to pay the real Living Wage and deliver a fair day’s pay for a hard day’s work.
The real Living Wage is the only rate calculated according to the costs of living. It provides a voluntary benchmark for employers that wish to ensure their staff earn a wage they can live on, not just the government minimum. Since 2011 the Living Wage movement has delivered a pay rise to over 300,000 people and put over £1.6 billion extra into the pockets of low-paid workers.
Commercial Director, Richard McGrail, shares, ‘ Our business is growing and we are employing more and more people. We are motivated by ethics and with the rising cost of living, it has never been more important to ensure we are paying our workforce a real living wage, and this is why this initiative is so great to recognise these businesses and hold them accountable. We hope that we set an example for other businesses in the industry to follow.’
Katherine Chapman, Director, Living Wage Foundation said: “We’re delighted that Armac Martin has joined the movement of almost 9,000 responsible employers across the UK who voluntarily commit to go further than the government minimum to make sure all their staff earn enough to live on.
“They join thousands of small businesses, as well as household names such as Burberry, Barclays, Everton Football Club and many more. These businesses recognise that paying the real Living Wage is the mark of a responsible employer and they, like Armac Martin, believe that a hard day’s work deserves a fair day’s pay."
ENDS
Media Contact
For all media enquiries, please contact:
Melissa McGrail
E: melissamcgrail@armacmartin.co.uk
To discover more about Armac Martin, visit our website: www.armacmartin.co.uk
Notes to Editors
About the Living Wage
The real Living Wage is the only rate calculated according to what people need to make ends meet. It provides a voluntary benchmark for employers that choose to take a stand by ensuring their staff earn a wage that meets the costs and pressures they face in their everyday lives.
The UK Living Wage is currently £9.90 per hour. There is a separate London Living Wage rate of £11.05 per hour to reflect the higher costs of transport, childcare and housing in the capital. These figures are calculated annually by the Resolution Foundation and overseen by the Living Wage Commission, based on the best available evidence on living standards in London and the UK.
The Living Wage Foundation is the organisation at the heart of the movement of businesses, organisations and individuals who campaign for the simple idea that a hard day’s work deserves a fair day’s pay. The Living Wage Foundation receives guidance and advice from the Living Wage Advisory Council. The Foundation is supported by our principal partners: Aviva; IKEA; Joseph Rowntree Foundation; KPMG; Linklaters; Nationwide; Nestle; Resolution Foundation; Oxfam; Trust for London; People’s Health Trust; and Queen Mary University of London.
What about the Government’s national living wage?
In July 2015 the Chancellor of the Exchequer announced that the UK Government would introduce a compulsory ‘national living wage’. It was introduced in April 2016, originally applying for all workers over the age of 25, is currently £9.50 an hour and applies for workers over the age of 23. The rate is different to the Living Wage rates calculated by the Living Wage Foundation. The government rate is based on median earnings while the Living Wage Foundation rates are calculated according to the cost of living in London and the UK.
