The Living Wage Foundation is celebrating a major step forwards in the take up of the Living Wage in the hospitality industry. ISS Facility Services, a leading global facilities service provider announced that its latest venture, managing the Sunborn London Yacht hotel in London's Royal Victoria Docks, will be a Living Wage contract.
All staff working on Sunborn London during ISS's tenure will be paid at least the London Living Wage.
Rhys Moore, Director, Living Wage Foundation said: "Historically the hospitality industry has been a low pay sector. We are really pleased to see that London's first yacht hotel is also the UK's first hotel where all employees will receive at least the Living Wage via our partnership with one of the first Recognised Service Providers working to encourage the Living Wage."
He continued, "We hope that the leadership they have shown will encourage others in this industry to consider how they support low-paid employees.
"The best employers are voluntarily signing up to pay the Living Wage now. 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."
ISS was one of the first organisations to sign up as a Recognised Living Wage Service Provider. As such they commit to pay all their own head office staff the Living Wage and to always offer a Living Wage bid alongside every market rate submittal to all prospective and current clients. This means the client always has the choice to implement the Living Wage at the point of tender. ISS is doing their best to have as many of their staff on at least the Living Wage, every time they negotiate new business.
To increase positive impact on the local area, ISS worked with the East London Business Alliance (ELBA) to find employees from Newham and surrounds. Julie Hutchinson, Programme Director, ELBA said:"Working in partnership with Newham Council's Workplace job brokerage, ELBA has sourced great talent from Newham to join the Sunborn London team. And it's wonderful that Sunborn London is a London Living Wage employer."
Richard Sykes, CEO, ISS UK and Ireland added, "Sunborn London is a unique venture in many ways. I am extremely proud that ISS is leading with another first with the Living Wage Foundation. We were the first of the major Facilities Services companies to sign up to the Service Provider Recognition programme and now we're responsible for one of the first London hotels to commit to pay the London Living Wage. I hope others in the sector will follow our lead."
ISS Facility Services Director of Hotels, Karen Thomson, comments, "At ISS we see this as a very exciting opportunity. We've worked extensively with our partners to create a totally unique experience, whilst driving positive change in the sector and the local community."