WARRINGTON Borough Council has agreed to pay their apprentices the REAL living wage.
At last week’s Full Council meeting Labour councillors voted in favour of increasing the wages of the council’s apprentices.
The amendments to the 2022/23 pay policy statement were brought forward in response to the recommendations from the Organisation Improvement and Development Committee chaired by Labour’s Cllr Nathan Sudworth.
The Council’s apprentices will now receive a higher rate of pay bringing their wages in line with other employees at the Council.
The rate currently set at £10.90 an hour is known as the ‘Living Wage Foundation Rate’ or the ‘Real Living Wage’. The figure is independently calculated to ensure households earn enough to reach a minimum acceptable standard of living.
The Real Living Wage is different and higher than the Government’s National Living Wage and National Minimum Wage.
The current change builds on the Labour council’s previous decision to ensure their lowest-paid employees all receive the Real Living Wage.
Cllr Sudworth said: “I’m proud to have personally brought this change to apprentice wages through the OID Committee.
“Our apprentices’ work will now be fairly rewarded. I am a big believer in equal pay for equal work.
“Up and down the country apprentices are some of the lowest paid employees with some earning as little as a shocking £4.81 per hour, a rate set by the Tory Government in Westminster.
“I’m proud that in Warrington we are doing more than the statutory minimum.
“This increase means our apprentices will be better able to deal with the cost of living crisis and sky-high energy prices.
“Not only will this help our apprentices but it will help our town, it will make us a more competitive employer and will also help us to keep talent here in Warrington providing opportunities for our residents to thrive.”
