Firms in the Burnham-On-Sea area have this week been urged to pay its workers the Living Wage rather than the Minimum Wage.
Sedgemoor District Council passed a motion at its full council meeting to actively promote the Living Wage and acknowledge all organisations in the area who pay the fair wage.
In speaking to the motion, Cllr Mick Lerry said that a large number of local people are paid below the living wage levels and it is important to have a local economy where prosperity is shared.
And Cllr Duncan McGinty added: “A living wage should be encouraged across Sedgemoor through negotiations in Local Labour Force agreements. It is recognised that for some smaller companies, though, that this could prove unviable.”
The Living Wage is an hourly rate set independently and updated annually. Currently it stands at £7.45 per hour and is calculated according to the basic cost of living in the UK. Employers choose to pay the Living Wage on a voluntary basis.
The UK’s minimum wage rate depends on a worker’s age and their status. The main adult rate (for workers 21 and over) is £6.19 an hour, the rate for 18-20 year is £4.98 an hour, the rate for 16-17 year olds is £3.68 an hour and the rate for apprentices is £2.65 an hour.
