Thousands of workers in Glasgow are in line for a pay rise as the real Living Wage increases to £9.50 an hour today.

The 20 p an hour rise will be paid to all staff who work for accredited Living Wage employers.

City Building, City of Glasgow College, Glasgow Clyde College, the three universities in Glasgow, drinks firm Edrington, charities like the Simon Community, and cafes and bars including Sprigg and Firewater are among the many in Glasgow signed up to pay the Living Wage rate.

There are around 45,000 staff in Scotland working for living wage employers but there is still around 350,000 workers in Scotland who are not paid the Living Wage which is higher than the UK Government minimum wage of £8.72 per hour for over 25s.

The Living Wage is set by the Living Wage Foundation at a rate that is deemed necessary to live on.

The new rate should be paid as soon as possible and by the deadline of May next year.

The Living Wage is worth around £1500 a year to staff who would otherwise be on the UK Government National Minimum Wage.

Lynn Anderson, Living Wage Scotland Interim Manager, said: “Since the start of the pandemic employers in Scotland have continued to sign up to a real Living Wage. During Living Wage Week, it is more important than ever to highlight those employers that have done right by workers and families, providing them with much needed security and stability even when times are hard. These are the employers that will allow us to recover and rebuild from this crisis.”

Since the Coronavirus pandemic started another 180 employers have been accredited including charity Enable, who is the latest to sign up, which will see 1800 staff get a pay increase.

Theresa Shearer, Enable Chief Executive, said: “As a newly accredited Living Wage employer, ENABLE Scotland is proud to uplift the pay of more than 1,800 frontline keyworkers to ensure we reward and retain the outstanding staff who are supporting vulnerable people to stay safe and well, living the life they choose in their own home.

Peter Kelly, Director of the Poverty Alliance, said: “It’s a challenging time for us all, but today’s new Living Wage rates will give a boost to thousands of workers in Scotland.”

The increase is welcomed by the Scottish Government.

First Minister, Nicola Sturgeon said: “This very welcome increase to the real Living Wage will mean thousands of workers across Scotland will get a pay rise to help them meet their living costs during this really tough time. Not only do we see it as a crucial part of creating a fairer and more prosperous country, it also makes business sense with companies reporting more motivated and productive employees, reductions in staff turnover and stronger team performance.”