MacGregor Industrial Supplies has today accredited as a Living Wage employer.
Achieving this, means that MacGregor Industrial Supplies voluntarily commits to paying all staff at a rate higher than the national minimum wage. The real Living Wage is are calculated annually, based on the best available evidence about living standards in the UK, to better reflect the real cost of living.
The real Living Wage rate this year has largely been driven by sharply rising fuel and rent costs. The real Living Wage is different to the Government minimum wage for over 23s, called the ‘National Living Wage’ (NLW). While the real Living Wage is independently calculated based on living costs and is paid by employers voluntarily, the government’s NLW is based on a percentage of median earnings, and all employers are required to pay it.
In Scotland, more than 14% of all jobs pay less than the real Living Wage – around 330,000 jobs. Despite this, MacGregor Industrial Supplies has committed to pay the real Living Wage and deliver a fair day’s pay for a hard day’s work.
Since 2011 the Living Wage movement has delivered a pay rise to over 52,000 people in Scotland and put over £310 million extra into the pockets of low paid Scottish workers.
John MacGregor, Managing Director said:
“Introducing the Living Wage is fundamentally the right thing to do for our colleagues but it also makes good business sense. This is a long-term investment in our colleagues based on our core values to ensure that each colleague is fairly compensated for their time. We want to pay the Living Wage to enable our colleagues and their families to enjoy a more comfortable life. We believe this investment will lead to improved colleague retention and to be recognised as an employer of choice in Inverness and the Highlands.”
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 MacGregor Industrial Supplies 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 MacGregor Industrial Supplies has become an accredited Living Wage employer. During Living Wage Week, it’s important to highlight those employers such as MacGregor Industrial Supplies that have done right by workers and families, providing them with much needed security and stability even when times are hard. They join a growing movement of over 2400 employers in Scotland who together want to ensure workers have what they need to thrive.”
Our Living Wage employer network includes lots of smaller employers as well as larger and iconic brands like SSE, abrdn, Barrs, & D.C. Thomson. We hope to see many more employers following their example.”