Bluebird Care Newport has today been accredited as a Living Wage Employer. Their Living Wage commitment will see everyone working at Bluebird Care Newport receive a minimum hourly wage of £10.90, higher than the government minimum for over 23s, which currently stands at £10.42 per hour.
Bluebird Care Newport is based in Wales, a region where more than a tenth of all workers (11.8%) earn less than they need to get by, with around 144,000 jobs paying less than the real Living Wage. Despite this, Bluebird Care Newport has committed to pay the real Living Wage and deliver a fair day’s pay for a hard day’s work.
The real Living Wage is the only rate calculated according to the costs of living. It provides a voluntary benchmark for employers that wish to ensure their staff earn a wage they can live on, not just the government minimum. Since 2011 the Living Wage movement has delivered a pay rise to over 450,000 people and put over £2 billion extra into the pockets of low paid workers.
Ray & Helen Morrison, Directors of Bluebird Care Newport said: “We really value our team and that’s why we have always ensured that everyone receives at least the real Living Wage. As we celebrate our 10th year providing care in our local community, this accreditation helps demonstrate our commitment to recognising our team’s hard work and we hope it encourages other employers in the social care sector to follow suit.”
Katherine Chapman, Director, Living Wage Foundation said: “We’re delighted that Bluebird Care Newport has joined the movement of over 12,000 responsible employers across the UK who voluntarily commit to go further than the government minimum to make sure all their staff earn enough to live on.
“They join thousands of small businesses, as well as household names such as Burberry, Barclays, Everton Football Club and many more. These businesses recognise that paying the real Living Wage is the mark of a responsible employer and they, like Bluebird Care Newport, believe that a hard day’s work deserves a fair day’s pay."
