National Express to pay living wage
13/03/2015
National Express transport firm has pledged to pay all it’s workers the living wage from January 2016.
National Express, who operate buses, coaches and trains have guaranteed that they will pay all their staff the living wage of £7.85 an hour (£9.15 an hour in London), which is around 20% higher than the national minimum wage of £6.50. Hundreds of low paid workers will now be in line for a pay rise, including contracted staff as well as employees. Nation Express is the first transport firm to pledge this.
Research has found that 22% of the UKs population are earning below the living wage. Around 1,200 firms in the UK have now agreed to pay their employers the rate of £7.85 per hour.
Dean Finch, chief executive of National Express, said:
“Committing to become a living wage employer in the UK testifies to our determination to be the best possible employer.”
Living Wage foundation director Rhys Moore said:
“We hope their announcement today and the leadership that they are showing, will lay down a marker in the transport sector. The Living Wage is a robust calculation that reflects the real cost of living, rewarding a hard day’s work with a fair day’s pay.”
Politicians were also keen on the pledge, with the Transport Secretary, Patrick McLoughlin claiming the pay rise will have a “real impact”, and Labour leader Ed Miliband calling the pledge “fantastic news”.
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