Most successful living wage year in Dundee

Published

26th January 2022

2021 was the most successful year for the Living Wage Movement in Dundee.

Over 25 employers signed up to pay the real Living Wage, benefiting 113 employees in the city.  This Living Wage commitment will see everyone working at a Living Wage employer receive a minimum hourly wage of £9.90.

The number of accredited employers in the city currently sits at 94 with over 18,000 people working in Dundee being paid the real Living Wage.

The campaign to make Dundee the first Living Wage City has continued to grow with major cultural organisations becoming accredited this year and a number of tech and digital companies also becoming accredited.

Some of the newest employers are Dundee Science Centre, Dundee Law Centre, and Dundee Heritage Trust.

2021 also saw the Dundee Living Wage Action Group crowned winner of the ‘Places Champion Award 2021’ category by the Living Wage Foundation.

Fairness and Equalities Spokesperson, Councillor Lynne Short said: “Despite the difficulty of the ongoing pandemic on businesses, 2021 was a great year for the Living Wage movement in Dundee.

“Paying a fair day's wage for a fair day's work is hugely important and will go a long way to help people across the city as the cost of living continues to rise.

“We hope to welcome more businesses into the Living Wage family in Dundee over the next year, particularly those in the construction, tech and third sector.

“I would encourage all businesses in the city to sign up it’s a no-brainer. We know paying this enhanced rate makes employees and employers happier, increases morale and benefits the whole economy.”

Christine McCaig, Projects Coordinator, Living Wage Scotland said: “It is fantastic to see continued growth of the Living Wage movement within Dundee. Despite the challenges currently faced by business, we have welcomed 25 new employers to the Living Wage network in Dundee, signalling their commitment to tackling in-work poverty, and demonstrating leadership and resilience.

“We look forward to working with more Dundee based employers in the coming months.”

Employers choose to pay the real Living Wage on a voluntary basis, recognising the value of their workers and ensuring that a hard day’s work receives a fair day’s pay.

In 2019, Dundee became the first place in the UK to achieve recognition for their ambitious plan to become a Living Wage City, a place-based approach to driving uptake of the real Living Wage by local businesses.

If you are interested in joining this movement contact accreditation@povertyalliance.org, or visit: Living Wage Scotland | The real Living Wage (scottishlivingwage.org)

Dundee City Council

Dundee draws skilled workers from a 60-minute catchment population of 640,000 and has a local population of over 140,000. The availability of a large pool of highly skilled labour is a key feature in the Dundee economy. Flexibility in the labour force is currently more prevalent in Dundee than in Scotland as a whole. All forms of labour market flexibility - part-time, temporary employment, self-employment and shift work - are widely operational within the city. Labour force stability in the city is excellent, enabling companies to plan with confidence. Labour turnover levels are less than 5% and absenteeism averages 2%.

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