17.04.2023

2 min read

Offering a fair day’s pay for a fair day’s work

Cheshire Dance has signed up to the Cheshire West and Chester Local Living Wage charter, promising to help make sure workers can earn a decent living.

The Cheshire West and Chester Local Living Wage rate of £9.30 per hour is calculated to cover the real cost of living.

It is different from the National Living Wage rate of £8.72 per hour for people aged over 25, which is a mandatory rate set by government and formerly known as the minimum wage.

Director of Cheshire Dance Adam Holloway has said: “Paying the Cheshire West and Chester Local Living Wage is voluntary and is a statement that we back west Cheshire and want its people and economy to thrive.”

The Cheshire West and Chester Local Living Wage campaign was launched by Cheshire West and Chester Council.

Councillor Paul Donovan, Cabinet Member for Democracy, Workforce and Localities, said: “We are really pleased that Cheshire Dance has signed the charter and joined the campaign to help make sure workers in the borough can earn a decent living.

“Poverty in the UK is a growing concern and there are more and more working families in poverty when compared to five or ten years ago, with many working multiple jobs.¹ Despite Cheshire’s affluent image, 16 per cent of the area’s households have an annual income of £15,000 or less, compared to 17 per cent for the number of UK households.²

“Our ambition is to make west Cheshire a Local Living Wage borough where all our residents can thrive.”

For more information about the Cheshire West and Chester Local Living Wage visit: www.cheshirewestandchester.gov.uk/llw.

¹ Tinson, A., Ayrton, C., Barker, K,. Born, T, B,. Aldridge, H,. Kenway, P (2016) Monitoring Poverty and Social Exclusion Joseph Rowntree Foundation

² Cheshire West & Chester Council Joint Strategic Needs Assessment, 2017 Household Income Analysis, November 2017, produced by Insight & Intelligence, pp. 1.