Metex Celebrates Commitment to Real Living Wage

Metex is now an accredited Living Wage Employer. Our Living Wage commitment will see everyone on our team receive a minimum hourly wage of £12.60. This is higher than the government minimum for over 21s, which currently stands at £11.44 per hour.

In Wales, where we’re based, more than 1/10 of all workers (12.9%) earn less than they need to get by, with around 161,000 jobs paying less than the real Living Wage. Despite this, we are committed committed to paying the Real Living Wage and deliver a fair pay to our team.

The Real Living Wage is the only rate calculated according to the costs of living. It’s a voluntary benchmark for employers who want 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 nearly half a million people, and put £3.5 billion extra into the pockets of low paid workers.

Metex Director Daniel Bamford commented: “We are committed to developing and supporting our valued staff, and key part of this is our commitment to paying the real Living Wage.”

Katherine Chapman, Director, Living Wage Foundation said: “We’re delighted that Metex has joined the movement of over 15,000 responsible employers across the UK, who voluntarily commit to going 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 Metex, believe that a hard day’s work deserves a fair day’s pay.”

What is the Real Living Wage?

The Real Living Wage is the only rate calculated according to cost of living to show what people need to make ends meet. It provides a voluntary benchmark for employers who wish to ensure their staff earn a wage that meets the costs and pressures they face in their everyday lives.

The UK Living Wage is currently £12.60 per hour. There is a separate London Living Wage rate of £13.85 per hour to reflect the higher costs of transport, childcare and housing in the capital. These figures are calculated annually by the Resolution Foundation and overseen by the Living Wage Commission, based on the best available evidence on living standards in London and the UK.

The Living Wage Foundation is the organisation at the heart of the movement of businesses, organisations and individuals who campaign for the simple idea that a hard day’s work deserves a fair day’s pay. The Living Wage Foundation receives guidance and advice from the Living Wage Advisory Council. The Foundation is supported by their principal partners: Aviva; IKEA; Joseph Rowntree Foundation; KPMG; Linklaters; Nationwide; Nestle; Resolution Foundation; Oxfam; Trust for London; People’s Health Trust; and Queen Mary University of London.

What about the Government’s national living wage?

In July 2015 the Chancellor of the Exchequer announced that the UK Government would introduce a compulsory ‘National Living Wage’, this was introduced in April 2016 and applied to all workers over the age of 25.

From 1st April 2024, workers aged 21 and over were also entitled to this National Living Wage, which is currently £11.44/hour. However, the Government’s rate is different to the Living Wage rates calculated by the Living Wage Foundation. The ‘National Living Wage’ is a legal minimum, and is based on percentage of average earnings, whereas the Living Wage Foundation’s real Living Wage rates are voluntarily paid by employers.

These rates are independently calculated, updated annually according to the cost of living and apply to anyone aged 18 and over. The Government’s ‘National Living Wage’ also doesn’t have a separate rate for higher living costs in the capital. A UK worker paid the real Living Wage earns an extra £2,262/year more than someone on the ‘National Living Wage’.

For more about the difference, and how they calculate their rate, see the Living Wage Foundation’s website.

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