A SCOTS University has announced its accreditation as a Real Living Wage employer, as they ensure their staff earn a wage that meets the costs and pressures of everyday life.
The Real Living Wage is a voluntary benchmark for employers such as The University of Dundee, which has been paying it since 2014.
The rate is currently £10.90 and is independently calculated based on the cost of living by a policy institute to allow employees a decent standard of living.
The Resolution Foundation tracks changes in prices annually and calculates the wage required to afford a basket of goods, including housing, childcare, transport and heating costs.
The University is one of the largest employers in the city – with more than 3,000 members of staff – and sought accreditation to support Dundee’s ambitious plans as a Living Wage City.
Dundee was in fact the first place in the UK to achieve recognition for becoming a Living Wage City, a place-based approach to driving uptake of the Real Living Wage by local businesses.
The University worked with UNISON towards the accreditation.
Phil Welsh, of UNISON, says: “The Dundee University Branch of UNISON have campaigned long and hard to ensure the University signed up to be an accredited Living Wage employer.
“Poverty pay is something which every employer must address, and accreditation is the first step on that ladder.”
Lynn Anderson, Living Wage Scotland manager, comments: “The University joins a growing movement of over 3000 employers in Scotland who together want to ensure workers have what they need to get by.
“We hope that more employers will be inspired to join the Living Wage movement by becoming accredited.”
Peter Kelly, Director of The Poverty Alliance, adds: “We all need an income that is enough to cover our needs and protect us from poverty, and it’s only right that employers pay a wage that reflects the cost of living.
“Too many workers in Scotland are paid less than the Real Living Wage and, at a time of rising costs, are struggling to stay afloat: the Real Living Wage can offer protection from those rising costs.
“Congratulations to the University of Dundee on their Living Wage commitment, and I hope more organisations follow their lead by becoming Living Wage accredited.”
