Rowlinson Knitwear accredited as Living Wage employer

Rowlinson Knitwear has become the first manufacturer supplying the independent schoolwear market to be accredited as a Living Wage employer.

The real Living Wage is an hourly rate set independently and updated annually, and is calculated according to the real costs of living. The Living Wage enjoys cross-party political support and employers choose to pay the real Living Wage on a voluntary basis.

Rowlinson’s commitment to paying staff the Living Wage will see everyone working at the company, whether they are direct employees or third-party contracted staff, receive a minimum hourly wage of £8.75 in the UK or £10.20 for those in London. Both rates are significantly higher than the statutory minimum wage for over 25s of £7.50 per hour introduced in April 2017.

Donald Moore, managing director, Rowlinson Knitwear, says, “As a values-led and employee owned organisation, we are both honour-bound and proud to commit to ensuring all our staff and contractors benefit from fair rates of pay to meet the rising cost of living. As a growing business, motivating, retaining and attracting our talent is increasingly important. We also believe that a team that receives a good reward and great working conditions is in a strong position to provide an exceptional experience to our customers. We are delighted to become part of a network of over 3900 accredited UK employers and will encourage our colleagues, partners and friends in the employee owned and textiles communities to join us in making their Living Wage commitment.”

Katherine Chapman, director, Living Wage Foundation said, “We are delighted to welcome Rowlinson Knitwear to the Living Wage movement as an accredited employer. Responsible businesses across the UK are voluntarily signing up to pay the real Living Wage now, because the real Living Wage rate reflects the real costs of living. We are a movement of over 3900 UK employers who want to go further than the government minimum to make sure all their staff earn enough to live on. All Living Wage employers, like Rowlinson, choose to become accredited because they believe that a hard day’s work deserves a fair day’s pay.”

www.rowlinson-knitwear.com