A recent study has put Rother residents in the top ten of local authorities who will benefit the most from the introduction of the Government’s new national living wage.—Huw Merriman MP for Bexhill and Battle. April 2016
According to the report, compiled by the Resolution Foundation, 30% of all workers living in Rother will get a pay rise following the introduction of the living wage on 1. April. This compares to a pay rise of less than 10% for parts of London and Surrey.
The living wage will make it compulsory for all employers to pay staff aged 25 years old and over an hourly rate of £7.20. It was announced in the 2015 Budget and will rise to an expected £9 per hour by 2020. Meaning further pay rises for Rother residents.
Huw welcomed the report’s findings: “Despite the constituency being in the top ten of pay rises in the UK for last year, this report shows that local residents are still earning less than their counterparts in other areas across the country. If this report is showing that 30% of our workers will be getting an immediate pay rise from the Government’s new national living wage then this is fantastic news. However, this data also shows the need to attract more employers to the area in order to create greater competition for talent and more high-skilled job opportunities. The rates of low pay in our area adds weight to our case for high speed rail from Bexhill to London and for regeneration investment.”
IMAGE CREDIT: BBC: Huw Merriman MP for Bexhill and Battle. April 2016
