Another university signs up to living wage

South Wales accreditation means all workers on campus, including those employed by contractors, will earn at least £9 an hour

UNISON workers in South Wales are celebrating the fact that the university has become an accredited living wage employer – so no-one who works on its campuses earns less than £9 an hour.

Today’s announcement that the University of South Wales has been accredited by the Living Wage foundation marks the end of a six-year campaign.

Workers who are directly employed by the university have been paid the living wage for the past four years, but now that has been extended to those who work for contractors.

“This is good news for all support staff at the university,” commented UNISON branch secretary Dan Beard, “from those in departments, through security to cleaning and catering, and we thank the university for working with us on this.”

He also thanked “our friends” in Citizens Cymru, who worked closely with the branch on the issue, bringing their experience of working with UNISON branches at other accredited universities: Cardiff, Aberystwyth and the Open University.

The union believes that the University of South Wales is the first post-1992 university in Wales to become an accredited living wage employer. It is the 200th living wage employer in Wales

The branch says it is “looking forward” to working closely with the university on implementing the remaining commitments outlined in the Welsh governments’ Code of Practice on Ethical Employment in Supply Chains.

Mr Beard said today’s news is a clear sign of how Wales’s “proposed Social Partnership Act could function, “with trade unions, employers and government working together”.