We are delighted to announce that The Traffic Group are now an accredited Living Wage Employer!
This means that every member of staff working for The Traffic Group (incorporating AGD Systems, MAV Systems, and Traffic Group Signals) will earn a wage that truly reflects the cost of living, not just the government minimum wage.
In light of the cost-of-living crisis, the choice to make this adjustment came as common sense. Since last December, food and drink prices have increased 4.2%, housing and utilities by 4% and transport by 12.1%. We hope that this commitment to paying a fair wage will help reduce the financial burden on our staff and support with costs of travel.
In addition to becoming officially accredited and committing to a fairer Living Wage, we have introduced further pay scales to support employee development.
“Like any responsible employer paying the real living wage will make a real difference to the financial well-being of our staff. With the cost of living rising during 2022, this commitment to our staff ensures they will be able to afford the things they need to live and worry less about their income.
The response from staff has been extremely positive and reaffirms our decision. We, as an organisation, would encourage others to join in supporting their staff and the Living Wage Foundation.”
Maxine Hutchinson, Principle Executive Director at Traffic Group Signals.
The real Living Wage is higher than the government’s minimum, or National Living Wage, and is an independently calculated hourly rate of pay that is based on the actual cost of living. It is calculated each year and is announced by the Living Wage Foundation as part of Living Wage Week. It is currently £9.90 in the UK, with a higher rate of £11.05 for London, reflecting the higher costs of living in the capital.
As it stands, workers paid the government’s National Living Wage need almost an extra £800 per year to bring earnings in line with the real Living Wage. This difference could pay for 13 weeks of food, or 10 weeks of housing costs.
Katherine Chapman, Director, Living Wage Foundation said: “We’re delighted that The Traffic Group has joined the movement of almost 9,000 responsible employers across the UK who voluntarily commit to go further than the government minimum to make sure all their staff earn enough to live on.
“They join thousands of small businesses, as well as household names such as Burberry, Barclays, Everton Football Club and many more. These businesses recognise that paying the real Living Wage is the mark of a responsible employer and they, like The Traffic Group, believe that a hard day’s work deserves a fair day’s pay.”
Since 2011, the Living Wage movement has delivered a pay rise to over 300,000 people and put over £1.6 billion extra into the pockets of low paid workers. You can hear some of their stories here.
The importance of ensuring workers throughout England earn a fair wage is crucial now more than ever, in the face of higher bills and cost of essentials. This is a choice that we encourage all businesses to make; it’s our responsibility to pay our staff a wage they can support themselves and their families with.
If you have any questions or concerns about the Living Wage please contact [email protected] or use the webform here.
You can find out more about the Living Wage by visiting www.livingwage.org.uk.
Keep an eye out for opportunities to join the business as we are hiring in a number of areas!