Published: November 6, 2023
Did you know that Unity Trust Bank was the first bank in the UK to become an accredited real Living Wage employer back in 2012?
As a longstanding advocate of the movement, Unity also joined more than 100 West Midlands-based businesses to champion Birmingham’s bid to become a Living Wage City – a status the city acquired last October.
And earlier this year Unity was named an ‘Industry Trailblazer of the Year’ at the Living Wage Foundation’s annual awards in recognition of the work we’ve done to promote the cause.
That’s why we’re proud to support Living Wage Week 2023. It’s a celebration of the Foundation’s achievements to date and an opportunity to call on all employers to pay staff the wage they need to meet their everyday needs.
Julia Tarpey is the Director of HR at Unity Trust Bank. She said: “Our mission is to create a better society. We work with socially minded organisations that share our values and want to improve people’s quality of life.
“We’ve been a longstanding supporter of the Living Wage Foundation and see it as a hallmark of a responsible employer. Now, more than ever, workers need to be paid a fair wage for what they do.
“There are so many people struggling with rising energy bills and the rising cost of living. We believe everyone should be paid a salary that is reflective of today’s living standards.”
The real Living Wage is independently calculated based on what employees and their families need to get by. This is currently £12 per hour for over 18s (£13.15 in London).
It is the only UK wage rate that is voluntarily paid and is higher than the government minimum. It is paid by over 14,000 Living Wage-accredited UK businesses including Unity, and benefits several hundred thousand workers.
In comparison, the Government’s statutory National Living Wage for over 23s is £10.42 per hour. The statutory Minimum Wage for under 23s is £10.18 per hour.
Living Wage Week 2023 runs until Sunday 12th November.
