Aberdeenshire Council has pledged to introduce the Living Wage supplement, supporting its lowest paid workers across the authority.

At the meeting of Policy & Resources Committee held yesterday (Thursday 15th November 2012) a recommendation was put forward by the Leader of the Council Cllr Jim Gifford to make a commitment in principle to introduce the Living Wage supplement.

It was agreed that proposals should be presented to committee at the earliest opportunity exploring the full implications and options for introducing the Living Wage supplement in the context of on-going national and local negotiations.

Cllr Jim Gifford said: “We recognise that a large proportion of our workforce are in low paid jobs due to the nature of the services that the council offers. We value our workforce and need to take action to support our lowest paid staff through these difficult financial times.

“I hope that this commitment by the council will make a significant difference to the lives of our lowest paid staff and their families.”

The Living Wage is an hourly rate set independently and updated annually. It is calculated according to the basic cost of living in the UK and is higher than the statutory minimum wage that all employers must pay.