An alliance of prominent local real Living Wage employers across Aberdeen City and Aberdeenshire has announced the launch of an ambitious action plan which sets out how they will work together to “Make Aberdeen and Aberdeenshire a Living Wage Place”.
This expands upon the previous successful ambition to Make Aberdeen a Living Wage City as the group aims to broaden the reach of their work and further reduce poverty and inequality across the region.
As part of this plan, the Action Group has set out several ambitious targets. This includes accrediting 150 new employers over the next three years; uplifting 1200 staff to the real Living Wage; and accrediting 16 new Living Hours employers.
There are over 3800 accredited Living Wage employers in Scotland and 214 of these employers are headquartered across Aberdeen and Aberdeenshire - 119 in Aberdeen City and 95 in Aberdeenshire - already committed to voluntarily paying staff the real Living Wage. However, thousands of workers in the area still earn less than a real Living Wage. It is hoped that today’s announcement will encourage more employers to join the movement to ensure workers earn enough to meet their needs.
The real Living Wage is an independently calculated rate based on the cost of living and is paid voluntarily by employers. The rate is currently £12.60 and is calculated annually by The Resolution Foundation on an analysis of the wage that employees need to earn in order to afford the basket of goods required for a decent standard of living. This basket of goods includes housing, childcare, transport and heating costs.
Since 2011 the Living Wage movement has delivered a pay rise to over 68,000 people in Scotland and put over £600 million extra into the pockets of low-paid Scottish workers.
Martin Barry, chair of the Making Aberdeen and Aberdeenshire a Living Wage Place Action Group said: “The launch of our action plan to Make Aberdeen and Aberdeenshire a Living Wage Place allows us to play a key role in the economic wellbeing of the region, working to support the reduction and prevention of poverty through well-paid jobs offering decent hours. We want to work with employers across the public, private and third sectors to join the real Living Wage movement and make the region a place where everyone can prosper and have the best quality of life.”
Surendra Khandelwal, director, Aberdeen Laundry Services said: “At Aberdeen Laundry Services, we believe that every employee deserves not just a fair wage, but the security and dignity that comes with it. Since becoming an accredited Living Wage employer, we have seen first-hand the powerful impact that fair pay and secure hours have on our team’s wellbeing and our business as a whole. In a region where the cost of living continues to rise and too many families face financial uncertainty, our commitment to the Real Living Wage is unwavering. We’re proud to be part of a regional movement that’s lifting standards, tackling in-work poverty, and helping to build a stronger, more inclusive North East Scotland. Investing in our people isn’t just the right thing to do—it’s the foundation for sustainable growth and a thriving community.”
Dan Shaw, chief executive, Aberdeenshire Voluntary Action said: “Third sector organisations are rooted in a sense of fairness and equity. Whilst it is a difficult time for charities financially, looking after our employees and ensuring they have enough to live on means we can provide more sustainable and effective services by retaining knowledge and experience in the sector. There is currently a huge amount of pressure on community groups supporting people on low income and in-work poverty – if other employers can improve wages, then we can reduce unsustainable demand on charities whilst improving the lives of people across the region.”
Rachel Morrison-McCormick, Living Wage projects officer said: “We are delighted to support the Aberdeen and Aberdeenshire Action Group in their ambition in Making Aberdeen and Aberdeenshire a Living Wage Place. The Living Wage Places scheme provides an opportunity for employers and stakeholders to work collaboratively towards ending in-work poverty. We hope to see many more employers joining the likes of Wood, W M Donald and Xodus Group by becoming accredited and ensuring people earn what they need to live on.”