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The Buidling Futures Group and Enspec Power have been accredited as living wage employers.

The accreditation is a formal agreement by the organisations to pay employees at least £7.65 an hour, or £8.80 in London, higher than the current minimum wage of £6.31 an hour.

Sarah Bentley, chief executive of skills and expertise development firm The Building Futures Group, said: “We are very pleased to have been accredited as a living wage employer.

”This is an important initiative and The Building Futures Group is committed to supporting its employees and the activity of the Living Wage Foundation.”

Steve Jones, director of electrical engineering firm Enspec Power, said: ”We are the first electrical engingeering, design and manufacturing business to be accredited in the UK.

”This isn’t a politically motivated action on our part, we simply value our people and believe that the benefits of paying a living wage far outweight any disadvantages.

Rhys Moore, director of The Living Wage Foundation, added: “The best employers are voluntarily signing up to pay thel living wage now. The living wage is a robust calculation that reflects the real living cost, rewarding a hard day’s work with a fair day’s pay.

“We have accredited over 700 leading employers, ranging from independent printers, hairdressers, breweries and well-know companies such as Nationwide, Aviva and SSE.”