This week is Living Wage Week which is when the new Living Wage is announced for the UK and London each year. The hourly rate, calculated independently by the Resolution Foundation, was announced on Monday 11 November.
£9.30 for Brighton & the UK
£10.75 for London
The Brighton & Hove Living Wage Campaign now has 575 employers signed up since it began seven years ago. Over 3350 wages have been increased due to the campaign as more and more employers choose to commit to paying the real Living Wage.
The government’s National Living Wage (which is the legal minimum for over 25s) currently stands at £8.21 per hour. Employees in Brighton can expect a gross of £2000 extra per year if they receive the real Living Wage instead. The local Living Wage campaign wants the real Living Wage to be the normal accepted minimum for all wages in the city.
Existing Living Wage employers have 6 months to implement the new rate, whereas new sign ups will need to be paying the new rate right away.
To mark Living Wage week, Brighton Chamber hosted a special Pop-up Breakfast, with Living Wage employer Seb Royle (founder of PLATF9RM) as guest speaker and Forgotten Cuts serving food. The sold out event was sponsored by the Brighton & Hove Bus Company which was the very first employer to join the campaign. They donated their sponsor slot to Brighton Housing Trust and attendees heard a few words from Andy Winter, CEO.
The campaign is supported by Brighton & Hove City Council and Unison and is led and managed by Brighton Chamber. Contact Bee Nicholls to find out more about the campaign on campaigns@brightonchamber.co.uk