10,000 workers now receive Real Living Wage in Sunderland

More than 70 employers are now accredited as Living Wage employers in Sunderland. Sunderland City Council has been working in partnership with the Living Wage Foundation (LWF) to promote the Real Living Wage of £10.90 an hour which is higher than the Government minimum of £10.42 (adults 23+).  There are now 31 Living Wage employers headquarted in Sunderland alongside 46 who have branches or district centres in Sunderland.

New accreditations include Pennywell Neighbourhood Centre, Sunderland Carers Centre, Sunderland Counselling Service, North East England Business and Innovation Centre (NEBIC) and Sustainable Business Services Ltd. Major employers based in the city such as the University of Sunderland and Gentoo are in the scheme and, alongside council staff, more than 10,000 people working in the city now receive the Real Living Wage.

The Living Wage rates for next year are due to be announced later this month and Living Wage Week begins on Monday 6 November. Sunderland City Council Cabinet Secretary, Councillor Paul Stewart said: "Great to hear that more employers in the city are paying their employees the real living wage. "The cost of living crisis and inflation are still with us and these rising costs do have a greater impact on lower-paid workers. I think it’s important that all employers look to see where they can help and do their utmost to support their lowest paid workers." Sunderland City Council was the first council in the North East to commit to the scheme and has paid employees the Real Living Wage recommended by the LWF since 2014.

Following accreditation with the LWF in 2020, it has extended this commitment to staff working for council contractors as contracts are renewed. In 2022, Sunderland won a national award for its work championing the right of lower paid workers and is aiming to become a Real Living Wage city in coming years. Cllr Stewart added: "A key point about the living wage is the evidence that money does go back into the local economy and so it helps support local businesses and shops, and this in turn helps sustain the city’s economy.

"As a city council, one of our biggest priorities is supporting people out of hardship and poverty and promoting a fair day’s pay for a hard day’s work. "We very much want to make Sunderland a Real Living Wage city and we continue to encourage other local employers to help us meet this goal." One of the new accredited employers is Sunderland Carers Centre in Thompson Road, Southwick. It employs 25 staff, who provide information, advice, guidance, a listening ear, and ongoing one-to-one and group support for unpaid carers aged five years and above. Amanda Brown, the centre’s Chief Executive Officer, said: "We are proud be a member of a movement of thousands of organisations, businesses and employers across the UK who believe that a hard day’s work deserves a fair day’s pay.

"A Real Living Wage is about ensuring a fairer wage that can make a real difference to so many employees in these challenging times. "As we join others with our accreditation, we hope that it helps encourage more businesses and more employers to sign-up and see that Sunderland becomes a Real Living Wage city for everyone."