• Swindon & Wiltshire Governance
• Friday March 15 2024
• Author Name: Peter Davison

Real Living Wage campaign hits a milestone in Bristol as 250th company signs up

A campaign to encourage employers in Bristol to commit to the real Living Wage has reached a milestone – with Bristol Community Ferry Boats Ltd becoming the 250th business in the city to sign up.

The Bristol City Council-led initiative aims to persuade employers to pay £12 an hour – above the government’s mandated National Living Wage, which is currently £10.42 an hour outside of London.

The real Living Wage is the only wage rate independently calculated according to the national cost of living.

Supporters say it is not only good for workers, but research shows it has business benefits too: improving employers’ brand, boosting staff productivity, and increasing motivation at work.

Due to their new accreditation, employees of BCFB now join the 44,800 people in Bristol who work for accredited real Living Wage employers. Over 5,500 Bristol employees have had their salary uplifted to the real Living Wage, significantly reducing in-work poverty and pay inequalities.

Marvin Rees, the Mayor of Bristol, said: “It is a credit to our work with unions and businesses that 250 employers in Bristol have now committed themselves to paying the real Living Wage. Fair pay is an essential part of a good and healthy society, it benefits people’s physical and mental wellbeing and reduces in-work poverty.

“In line with my manifesto commitment, Bristol City Council became a Living Wage employer in 2018. It is fantastic to see more employers across our city doing their bit to support hard-working people with a fair wage, and more than 5,500 employees in Bristol have now had a pay rise as a result.

“We are proud to have prioritised building a better Bristol, a City of Hope where everybody can share in the city’s success. The real Living Wage is a big part of making sure that nobody is left behind.”

Carrie Browne, co-director at Bristol Community Ferry Boats Ltd, said: “As a Community Benefit Society, our enthusiastic and knowledgeable crew are the heart of our operations. We are extremely proud to have become a real Living Wage employer and believe that our talented and passionate staff have the right to the real Living Wage at entry level into the organisation.”

Charly Wood, a Crew Member at Bristol Community Ferry Boats Ltd, said: “With the rising housing costs in Bristol over the last 12 months, this wage improvement allows me to continue living in this beautiful city and working on the harbourside.”

Ninety-four per cent of real Living Wage employers reported to the Living Wage Foundation that their business has benefited from their accreditation.

The Bristol Living Wage Action Group is an alliance of organisations across the city working together to champion the Living Wage and encourage more employers to become accredited. They have continued to set stretching targets; they aim to secure an additional 120 Living Wage accredited employers with headquarters in Bristol by the end of 2025.

The action group includes Bristol City Council, Great Western Credit Union, Hargreaves Lansdown, University of the West of England, Visit West, We The Curious, Box-E, Trades Union Congress (TUC) South West, Clarke Bond, Babbasa, Brunelcare, Rising Arts Agency, and Business West.

Ines Lage, regional secretary of TUC South West, said: “Paying a fair wage to workers is the right thing to do. It’s great to see yet another Bristol employer recognise the many benefits that paying a real Living Wage can have.

“The real Living Wage City project demonstrates what happens when a city comes together to proactively make a positive difference to the lives of working people.

“With bills still high, and real wages less than they were in 2010, many more employers should step up to support working people.”

In 2019, Bristol was formally recognised by the Living Wage Foundation for the efforts of the Bristol Living Wage Action Group to make Bristol a Living Wage City. Bristol was one of the first UK cities to achieve this accolade.

Katherine Chapman, director of the Living Wage Foundation, said: “We’re delighted that Bristol Community Ferry Boats Ltd have joined the Living Wage movement, becoming the 250th Living Wage employer in Bristol.

“They join the movement of businesses who voluntarily commit to going further than the government minimum to make sure all their staff have enough to live on.”

Every one of the 250 real Living Wage employers in Bristol is a key part of efforts to support a fair and inclusive city, where everyone has quality job opportunities.