Three more firms sign up to voluntary Living Wage

Three more companies have agreed to pay their workers the voluntary Living Wage, a rate which is well above the statutory figure announced by the Government earlier this year.

Majestic Wine, TSB and Brecon Carreg have joined the 2,600 other employers who voluntarily choose to pay £9.40 an hour in London and £8.25 outside the capital. The statutory rate is £7.20 for over 25-year-olds.

Majestic Wine, the UK's largest wine specialist, is the first national wine and alcohol retailer to become an accredited employer of the Living Wage Foundation.

Brecon Carreg, which supplies bottled water, is based in Wales and has committed to pay all employees a wage of at least £8.25 an hour, which has helped place it among the 2,000 most favourable and ethical British employers to work for.

The Mayor of London Sadiq Khan said: "I am determined to tackle low pay across the capital, working with employers to make London a Living Wage city. The Living Wage should be seen as a badge of honour for businesses and I hope many more will follow the fine example of Majestic Wine, TSB and Brecon Carreg and sign up to this scheme.

"As well as making a real difference to the quality of life for employees, there are clear benefits for businesses in increasing productivity, boosting morale and reducing staff turnover."

Katherine Chapman, director at the Living Wage Foundation, said: "It's really exciting to have Majestic Wine, TSB and Brecon Carreg become Living Wage accredited employers as it means over 1,200 people will get a pay rise.

"These companies like many other Living Wage employers have recognised that people are the lifeblood of their business and want to reward staff with a wage they can live on.

"The Living Wage is robust calculation of an hourly wage rate based on the basic cost of living in the UK and re-assessed annually."