A VENDING machine company is starting to pay its employees the Living Wage after becoming the latest in Scotland to become accredited.
Excel Vending Limited’s 23 employees have received a pay increase to the real Living Wage of £9 per hour as a result.
The firm decided to pursue accreditation as a Living Wage employer as part of its 25th anniversary celebrations, as it sought to mark the event with meaningful and lasting action.
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“We have found that becoming a Living Wage Employer has been a very rewarding experience,” said Jane MacDonald, Excel Vending Limited’s managing director.
“I have been amazed at how many people have mentioned the Living Wage in conversation since we published the details and lots of customers have acknowledged it in a very positive manner.
“We have found that becoming a Living Wage Employer has been a very rewarding experience. I have been amazed at how many people have mentioned the Living Wage in conversation since we published the details and lots of customers have acknowledged it in a very positive manner.”
The real Living Wage is an hourly rate set independently of businesses and updated annually. It is calculated according to the real costs of living. Employers choose to pay it on a voluntary basis and it enjoys cross-party political support.
The SNP’s Linda Fabiani visited the firm as they received their accreditation. The MSP for East Kilbride said: “It was great to visit Excel Vending again – a successful local company, doing some really great work on deposit/return bottle and can schemes.
“I am so pleased they’ve received Living Wage Accreditation to the benefit of the company and its employees.”
Julie McGahan of Living Wage Scotland added: “We are delighted to welcome Excel Vending Limited to the Living Wage employer movement.
“We are a movement of over 1400 Scottish employers who together want to go further than the government minimum to make sure that all their staff earn enough to live on.
“We have lots of smaller employers as well as larger and iconic Scottish employers like SSE, Standard Life, Barrs, Mackies, ScotRail, DC Thomson and many more.
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