Councillor Tim Pogson, Housing, Homelessness and Fair Work Convener and Co-Chair of the Edinburgh Fair Work Action Group, writes in the Edinburgh Evening News on the importance of a fair wage.
Paying the real Living Wage helps people cover the cost of living and meet everyday needs, but it goes much further than that.
Well-supported employees can thrive and develop and, when they feel respected at work, their mental health and home life can benefit too. This has a knock-on effect for real Living Wage employers, leading to a productive and more motivated workforce – it’s no surprise that 68% of employers say paying a real Living Wage has improved their recruitment outcomes.
That’s why I’m proud that, since 2021, Edinburgh has been recognised as a Living Wage City. This is thanks to the efforts of the Edinburgh Fair Work Action Group who set ambitious real Living Wage accreditation targets for the city, and dedicated local businesses who have made those targets a reality.
As we mark the mid-point of Living Wage Week – and 25 years of the Living Wage movement – it’s fitting that we’re able to celebrate the fact that we’ve now doubled the number of accredited real Living Wage employers in Edinburgh to more than 800. As a result, over 194,000 workers across the city are now guaranteed a wage that reflects the real cost of living.
This is no mean feat - over the last five years the real Living Wage has increased by 42% to £14.10 per hour. That employers of all sizes are signing up to pay their employees a fair wage is testament to their commitment to workers’ wellbeing, despite the pressures they might face as a business.
Last month I joined Dynamic Earth when they became one of the city’s latest accredited employers and it was great to see this premier city attraction setting an example by prioritising the needs of the people that work there.
It is only through fair pay, alongside job security, predictable hours and career progression that we will be able to tackle the rising costs of living and achieve our goal of ending poverty in the city by 2030.
To this end the Edinburgh Fair Work Action Group has been working tirelessly to build momentum behind fair pay and promote Fair Work across the city through employer engagement, events, awareness-raising and policy influence.
During Challenge Poverty Week in October I joined the group, along with partners and employers from around Edinburgh, at a special event to explore ways we can tackle in-work poverty through Fair Work. As part of the summit we began discussions on our new action plan for the next three years, which will also be informed by engagement with workers and employers.
Our priorities for the plan include understanding what support employers need to adopt Fair Work practices and supporting them to implement Fair Work principles.
Through these endeavours we want to continue supporting workplaces that are safe, respectful and healthy. Not only is our ambition to become the first UK city, outside of London, with more than 1,000 Living Wage employers, but we want to lead the way in Living Hours, Living Pensions and B Corp accreditation.
The more businesses we can encourage to embrace the Living Wage, the happier and healthier our city can be.