InterContinental Hotels Group staff to receive pay rise as part of London living wage

InterContinental Hotels Group (IHG) employees will receive a five-year phased pay rise in support of the London living wage, currently set at £8.30 per hour by the Mayor of London.

The group behind Holiday Inn and Intercontinental has committed to phased pay rises in each of its eight London hotels that will, over a five-year period, bring all staff, including agency workers, onto the London living wage.

It is estimated that 850 employees will receive pay rises.

Community alliance London Citizens has been campaigning for the living wage since 2001 . It is an hourly rate, set independently, every year, which is calculated according to cost of living and gives the minimum pay rate required for an individual to provide their family with the essentials of life.

While the London living wage is currently set at £8.30 an hour, the current rate outside of London is £7.20.

Stephen McCall, managing director for UK and Ireland at IHG, said: “We’ve made a commitment to become a London living wage employer in all the London hotels we manage over the next five years.”

Boris Johnson, Mayor of London, added: “This is a welcome decision by InterContinental and I am delighted that it has been persuaded of the huge benefits the London living wage will bring.

“Not only does it foster a loyal and hardworking workforce, it can help lift people out of poverty and give them a proper reward for their labours.”