South Wales Fire and Rescue Service celebrates commitment to Real Living Wage

South Wales Fire and Rescue Service (SWFRS) is proud to announce it has been accredited as a Living Wage Employer.

The Living Wage commitment will see everyone working at SWFRS receive a minimum hourly wage of £10.90, higher than the government minimum for over 23s, which currently stands at £10.42 per hour.

SWFRS is based in Wales, a region where more than a tenth of all workers (11.8%) earn less than they need to get by, with around 144,000 jobs paying less than the real Living Wage. Despite this, SWFRS is committed to pay the real Living Wage and deliver a fair day’s pay for a hard day’s work.

The real Living Wage is the only rate calculated according to the costs of living. It provides a voluntary benchmark for employers that wish to ensure their staff earn a wage they can live on, not just the government minimum. Since 2011 the Living Wage movement has delivered a pay rise to over 450,000 people and put over £2 billion extra into the pockets of low paid workers.

Assistant Chief Officer for People Services, Alison Reed, said:

“I am proud that South Wales Fire and Rescue Service has become an accredited Real Living Wage employer following the initial decision by our Fire and Rescue Authority. Our organisation relies on everyone that works here to ensure we can deliver fantastic services to our communities and keep South Wales safe.

“This investment in our people demonstrates our values and our belief that all of our people deserve to be paid a fair rate for the work that they do. Obtaining this accreditation highlights our commitment to being an ethical employer and a leader for positive change in Wales.”

Katherine Chapman, Director, Living Wage Foundation said:

“We’re delighted that SWFRS has joined the movement of over 12,000 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 SWFRS, believe that a hard day’s work deserves a fair day’s pay.”