We are pleased to announce that West Yorkshire Fire & Rescue Service (WYFRS) has been accredited as a Living Wage employer. West Yorkshire is the first Fire and Rescue Service outside of London to be accredited.
The Living Wage commitment will see everyone working for West Yorkshire Fire & Rescue Authority receive at least the living hourly wage of £8.25 - significantly higher than the National Minimum Wage of £6.70.
This is not to be confused with the UK Government's 'National Living Wage' which sets a minimum wage premium rate for staff over 25-years-old. This will be introduced from April 2016 and the rate will be £7.20 per hour.
Meanwhile, the Living Wage is an hourly rate set independently and updated annually. The Living Wage is calculated according to the basic cost of living using the 'Minimum Income Standard' for the UK. Decisions about what to include in this standard are set by the public; it is a social consensus about what people need to make ends meet.
Chair of West Yorkshire Fire Authority, Councillor Judith Hughes said:
"The Fire Authority has taken this positive step to show its support for our employees and we hope that by setting a good example others will follow our lead."
Ian Brandwood, the Authority's Chief Employment Services Officer, said:
"Adopting the Living Wage forms part of our aim to be an employer of choice in all the communities that we provide services for, and despite the additional cost, overall it was felt strongly to be the right thing to do. "We are committed to being a socially responsible employer that endeavours to improve the quality of life for our staff."
Employers choose to pay the Living Wage on a voluntary basis.
Sarah Vero, Director of the Living Wage Foundation, added:
"We are delighted to welcome West Yorkshire Fire & Rescue Service to the Living Wage movement as an accredited employer. "West Yorkshire is leading the way as the first Fire & Rescue Service outside the capital to become a Living Wage employer and we hope that other services will follow their lead and implement the voluntary Living Wage and help tackle poverty pay. "Over 2,000 organisations are now accredited Living Wage employers across the UK. The voluntary Living Wage is a robust calculation that reflects the real cost of living; going above the statutory minimums and rewarding a hard day's work with a fair day's pay."
Dave Spink, Unison Chief Steward WYFRS, said:
"Unison welcomes the West Yorkshire Fire & Rescue Authority's decision to adopt the Living Wage. Unison has always been at the forefront of the fight to have the Minimum Wage adopted by employers and more recently the Living Wage. "We fully support this move by the Authority and look forward to the day when we can boast that all of our partner contractors are also paying the Living Wage." David Williams, Fire Brigades Union (FBU) Secretary for West Yorkshire added: "This is a fantastic achievement from a forward looking Authority regarding pay. "However the FBU believe this should only be a stepping stone to achieving a truly reflective Living Wage of £10 per hour."