Railway organisation Network Rail has officially become a real living wage employer, accredited by the Living Wage Foundation.
Its 41,000 employees will benefit from the living wage, which has increased by 20p per hour as of 9 November 2020, to £9.50 outside of London and £10.85 in the capital.
The living wage, which is calculated by the Living Wage Foundation and increases annually, is set to meet the cost of living and supporting a family in the UK, and is separate from the legal minimum wage, currently set at £8.72 per hour for employees over 25.
Loraine Martins, director of diversity and inclusion at Network Rail, said: “I am delighted that Network Rail has been accredited as a real living wage employer. While we already pay our 41,000 employees the real living wage, official accreditation by the Living Wage Foundation means that thousands of rail staff in our supply chain will also benefit.
“The varied work that rail staff carry out on our trains, in our stations and on our tracks has never been more important than in recent months, where they have helped to keep Britain connected in challenging times by running a safe and reliable service for key staff and others relying on the railway. Our work with contractors and the Living Wage Foundation will ensure that railway employees are paid appropriately for their vital work.”