Rowlinson Knitwear becomes an accredited Living Wage Employer

Stockport-based Rowlinson Knitwear is the first garment manufacturer in Greater Manchester to become an accredited Living Wage Employer.

The Living Wage commitment will see everyone working at Rowlinson, both direct employees and 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 for over 25s of £7.50 per hour introduced in April 2017.

Rowlinson’s managing director, Donald Moore, said: “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.”

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.

Living Wage Foundation director, Katherine Chapman, added: “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 3,900 UK employers who want to go further than the government minimum to make sure all their staff earn enough to live on.”