News / national living wage
Bristol aims to become Living Wage city
The Bristol Living Wage Action Group has been recognised by the Living Wage Foundation for its endeavours to make the city a Living Wage City.
The groups aim is to more than double the number of accredited Living Wage employers by 2023. There are currently 165 accredited Living Wage employers in Bristol, with almost 20,000 employees working for Living Wage employers.
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This alliance of employers includes Bristol City Council, the University of Bristol, Triodos Bank and Business West and working together they have ensured that more than 20,000 staff are paid the real Living Wage of £9.30.
Bristol City Council is a Living Wage employer. Photo courtesy of Bristol24/7
The Bristol Living Wage Action Group’s three-year plan aims to help Bristol employers large and small become accredited Living Wage employers, targeting areas where low pay is most common, such as hospitality, retail and tourism.
The group hope to double the number of accredited Living Wage employers in Bristol over the next three years, ensuring more than 40,000 employees are paid the real Living Wage.
“It’s great to see employers in Bristol come together to tackle in-work poverty,” said Katherine Chapman, director of the Living Wage Foundation. “This is an ambitious plan to substantially increase Living Wage jobs in the city, and ultimately, to make Bristol a Living Wage City.’’
“‘Bristol needs to be a city that rewards our citizens fairly for a hard day’s work, where paying the real Living Wage should be the benchmark, not the aspiration,” adds mayor Marvin Rees.
“Bristol City Council led by example in becoming a Living Wage employer. Then, working with unions, business and organisations from all sectors and taking a One City Approach, we developed a plan that will see us increase wages for thousands more people across the city.
“Now we need the city’s support to make this a reality.”
Main photo by Lowie Trevena
Read more: St Jude’s pub in Bristol to achieve Living Wage accreditation
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