The county of Cornwall has received living wage place accreditation from the Living Wage Foundation as part of its commitment to fair pay, tackling in-work poverty and staff wellbeing.
The foundation describes a living wage place as somewhere employers of all sizes and sectors are encouraged to pay their employees and regular contractors a fair and reliable income, that is over and above the national minimum wage, which meets everyday needs.
The announcement was made at an event at the Bedruthan Hotel in Mawgan Porth and was attended by business leaders, community organisations and local policymakers, such as Emma Stratton, chief executive officer of the hotel and the Red Hotels Group, which is an accredited real living wage employer.
Having seen positive results in other living wage places, which include Newcastle, Cardiff, Bristol, Greater Manchester and London, an action group was formed to achieve accreditation in Cornwall. The group is supported by Wildanet, Mother Ivey’s Holiday Park, Cornish Gems, Cornwall Voluntary Sector Forum and Coastline Housing.
The accreditation was also sought following research by the foundation, which estimated that 60,000 Cornwall workers were paid less than the real living wage, including 20% of male part-time and 40% of female part-time staff.
Simon Fann, manager of Truro Foodbank, who helped lead the campaign, said: “The invitation driving this campaign is for all employers, no matter what size or sector, to consider the benefits of being a real living wage employer. Yes, the mainstay is that workers need to receive fair and regular pay, but there are tangible benefits for businesses in Cornwall which can be financial as well as reputational.
“This is a voluntary commitment, we urge businesses not to just default to paying the minimum or imposing zero hours contracts. The campaign will be promoted in the coming weeks and months. Be part of this momentum in Cornwall: come and discuss this with us, don’t just dismiss it as something that purely increases costs.”
