It’s very encouraging to read that many more employers in Scotland are signing up to Real Living Wage. Over 180 employers have become accredited Living Wage employers since the start of the pandemic, bringing the total number of Living Wage Employers in Scotland to 1892.

It is also encouraging to see that the Real Living Wage rate continues to rise. The new rate across the UK introduced this month is £9.50 per hour, an increase of 20p. Back in February 2019 when Excel Vending announced its accreditation, the National Living Wage was £7.83 per hour, and the Real Living Wage was £9 per hour.

The Real Living Wage is a rate independently calculated and is determined as the minimum amount that people need to get by. Back then, it was then adopted by the Government as a target minimum wage to be reached by 2020.

Last week Rishi Sunak announced changes to the National Minimum Wage whereby all those over 23 will be paid £8.91 from April 2021. But it’s good to see that many employers continue to sign up to the Real Living Wage rate which is 79p per hour higher than the National Minimum Wage.

Excel Vending is delighted to be one of these employers, and we encourage all businesses in Scotland to sign up to the Real Living Wage. If this year has taught us anything, it is that our people are important. They have shown resilience and adapted to circumstance that nobody could have imagined, and certainly hadn’t planned for at the start of 2020.   

Lynn Anderson, Living Wage Scotland Interim Manager, said: “Since the start of the pandemic employers in Scotland have continued to sign up to a real Living Wage. During Living Wage Week, it is more important than ever to highlight those employers that have done right by workers and families, providing them with much-needed security and stability even when times are hard. These are the employers that will allow us to recover and rebuild from this crisis.”

Speaking about Excel Vending’s Managing Director, Jane MacDonald, said: “This year we have seen just how important our people are to the business and we need to make sure their hard work and loyalty are adequately rewarded. The Living Wage is an excellent starting point; making sure everyone in the business, regardless of their responsibilities, experience or abilities, is entitled to an hourly rate that allows them to get by.  

“We are proud to be a Living Wage Employer; it is one of the things we will continue to be committed to in our efforts to ensure the health and wellbeing of the whole team”.