Kingston Council celebrates Living Wage Week
The council became an accredited Living Wage Employer in 2019 and sees the living wage as a way to improve the lives of its residents.
Kingston’s accreditation as a Living Wage Employer has accelerated the pace of the Living Wage movement in the borough. Kingston Council now has a total of 212 suppliers - compared to 72 in 2019 - paying London Living Wage (LLW) with nearly 9,000 contracted staff. This year we have introduced living wage in the social care market and other sectors affected by low pay including homecare, supported living, green spaces - all of which are all essential services to our community.
Glendale Services was recently appointed to maintain the borough’s parks and green spaces. Their staff will now be paid the LLW and say it will make a real impact.
A spokesperson for Glendale said:
“As staff move over to Glendale from the previous contract, the pay increase has been very gratefully received with staff feeling better appreciated for the hard work that they deliver in the Kingston community.
“The increased rate of pay will also enable Glendale to attract better-experienced staff in what is an already challenging labour market."
Councillor Andreas Kirsch, Portfolio Holder for Finance and Commissioning and leader said:
“We are proud to announce that 948 part time staff and 8,084 full time staff are getting paid the LLW through our contracts now - we started at 1,500 in 2019.
"Paying a living wage isn’t just beneficial to employees – it also benefits employers themselves, as the evidence suggests it improves staff motivation and retention and boosts an organisation’s reputation.
"I’d encourage any local employers not already paying their staff the Living Wage to join the scheme."
Over the past few years the council has shown a real commitment to embedding ethical practices in our supply chain, which has been recognised and accredited by the Good Business Charter and the Chartered Institute for Purchasing and Supply (CIPS), successfully achieving this week a quality kitemark in Corporate Ethical Procurement and Supply.
The real Living Wage is the only UK wage rate that is voluntarily paid by almost 9,000 UK businesses who believe their staff deserve a wage which meets everyday needs - like the weekly shop, or a surprise trip to the dentist. Living Wage Week is the annual celebration of the Living Wage movement. Living Wage Week takes place on 15-21 November 2021, and the new Living Wage rates were announced on Monday 15 November.