Go North East has received real living wage accreditation from the Living Wage Foundation as part of its commitment to fair pay.
The organisation operates buses in County Durham, Cumbria, Northumberland, North Yorkshire and Tyne and Wear.
As part of its commitment, all 1,800 Go North East employees, future workers and 73 cleaners who transitioned from external roles to become directly employed by the organisation, will benefit from the real living wage.
Calculated by the Living Wage Foundation, the real living wage is intended to be a rate that reflects the true value of work and the actual cost of living. The foundation has increased the rate to be £12.60 per hour for those across the UK, and £13.85 per hour in London, exceeding the government minimum.
Go North East made the decision to work towards accreditation as part of its fair pay goal and belief that when people thrive, so does the business.
Maria Bainbridge, head of people and change at Go North East, said: “As the third largest private employer in the region, our living wage accreditation shows our ongoing commitment to looking after our team, and we will adjust pay to remain in line with Living Wage Foundation standards as they evolve.”
Nigel Featham, managing director at Go North East, added: “Our commitment to the Real Living Wage is a promise that we value every single person who works with us. Go North East’s success is a result of our hard-working drivers, engineers, cleaners, and supervisors who keep our services running.”
Kim McGuinness, North East’s Mayor who presented Go North East with the accreditation, said: “The living wage is crucial to the North East’s mission to tackle low pay and create opportunity for workers and families. Go North East’s commitment to fair pay is exactly what we want in our region: decent work, respect, and investment in our people. This decision will make a real difference to hundreds of families.”
