Capital Cleaning Service has become accredited as a Living Wage employer. This follows their previous achievement as a Recognised Service Provider. This saw them paying all their directly employed staff the real Living Wage, along with offering a Living Wage bid alongside their standard costing to any clients.
Their new Living Wage commitment will see everyone, including those whose employment is tied to client contracts, receive a minimum hourly wage of £12 per hour. This rate is higher than the government minimum for over 21s, which currently stands at £11.44 per hour. Capital Cleaning Service are the first Scottish headquartered Recognised Service Provider to successfully make the transition to become an accredited Living Wage employer.
In Scotland, 91% of all jobs pay at least the real Living Wage, this is higher than any other UK nation. Despite this, nearly 1 in 10 jobs still pay less than the real Living Wage which equates to 221,000 jobs.
The real Living Wage is the only UK wage rate calculated according to the costs of living. 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.
Since 2011 the Living Wage movement has delivered a pay rise to over 64,000 people in Scotland and put over £485 million extra into the pockets of low paid Scottish workers.
Capital Cleaning Services’ 45 years in business and vast experience in its sector are part of what makes their move into becoming a Living Wage employer so exciting for the movement. Their place as both a well-regarded presence in the cleaning industry and UK wide provider speaks to the importance of the real Living Wage.
Speaking on this development, Managing Director Moreland McDiarmid, said:
“As the proud owner of Capital Cleaning Service, I am thrilled to announce our recent accreditation as a Living Wage employer. With 45 years of dedicated service in the industry, we understand the value of our hardworking staff.
By committing to pay a RLW of £12 per hour, we not only exceed the government’s minimum requirement, but also demonstrate our unwavering support for fair compensation.
Capital Cleaning Service is honoured to be the first Scottish headquartered Recognised Service Provider to achieve this distinction. Our journey toward becoming a Living Wage employer reflects our commitment to both our team and the broader community. As we embark on new chapters in our business and growth plan in the coming weeks and months, this accreditation sets us firmly in the right direction.
We believe that a fair day’s work deserves a fair day’s pay, and we’re proud to lead by example.”
Speaking on their experiences working for Capital Cleaning, staff member Nikki stated that it:
“… feels great to work with a company that you feel valued and respected with for your work ethic and experience. Great support from everyone.”
Peter Kelly, Director of The Poverty Alliance said:
“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 Capital Cleaning on their Living Wage commitment, and I hope more organisations follow their lead by becoming Living Wage accredited.”
Lynn Anderson, Living Wage Scotland Manager said:
“We’re delighted that Capital Cleaning has become an accredited Living Wage employer. They join a growing movement of over 3600 employers in Scotland who together want to ensure workers have what they need.
Our Living Wage employer network includes well known organisations such as SSE plc, ENABLE Scotland and the University of Strathclyde as well as lots of smaller employers and we hope to see many more follow their example.”