Over 100 employees in Northern Ireland now accredited as real living wage employers
According to recent data, Northern Ireland has one of the highest rates of employees paid below the Living Wage in the UK, with 15.6% of jobs – equating to 190,000 workers – falling below this threshold
More than 100 employers across Northern Ireland have now committed to paying the real Living Wage, a significant milestone that highlights the region’s growing dedication to fair pay.
The real Living Wage is the only UK wage rate independently calculated based on the cost of living, ensuring that workers receive a fair wage that meets their everyday needs.
This achievement follows the launch of Living Wage NI in June by Advice NI, in partnership with the Living Wage Foundation and the Department for the Economy.
Until recently, Northern Ireland was the only region in the UK without a local body promoting the real Living Wage and accrediting employers. Remarkably, almost half of the accredited employers have signed up within the past two years.
Mary McManus, regional manager for Living Wage NI, explained: “The real Living Wage now has strong momentum in Northern Ireland.
“We are delighted to have reached the milestone of 100 accredited Living Wage Employers in NI. While we are playing catch up with other regions, we are very optimistic. Many employers sign up because they want to do the right thing by their employees, especially as many people continue to struggle with the cost of living. However, many see that it is also good for business helping them to retain people cutting down on recruitment and training costs.”
According to recent data, Northern Ireland has one of the highest rates of employees paid below the Living Wage in the UK, with 15.6% of jobs -equating to 190,000 workers – falling below this threshold.
Clonard Credit Union and USPCA are among the latest employers to join this growing network. The network now includes a diverse range of organisations, from Invest NI, Queen’s University Belfast and Belfast City Council to smaller businesses such as hairdressers and bars.
Terry McCrudden, CEO of Clonard Credit Union, explained: “Introducing the Living Wage within CCU as part of a programme to enhance the overall employee benefit package can only bring positive change to the lives of our employees. CCU prides itself on doing right by our staff, volunteers, members, and our communities. This is part of a long-term strategy of investment in our people based on our core values and vision for the future. As the first Credit Union in Northern Ireland to achieve Real Living Wage accreditation, we highly recommend and encourage others to consider the accreditation.”
Siobhan McHaffie, director of operations & development for the USPCA, added: “I am delighted that we have achieved accreditation as a Real Living Wage employer, as it is important to the USPCA to look after our staff. We could not give animals most in need of help the care, attention and treatment they need without the joint efforts of all our staff, and it is only right that we pay them a Real Living Wage for the vital work that they do tirelessly every day.”