“Circular Economy only circular in name without Living Wage”

Eifion Williams, heading Circular Communities Cymru said:

“Whilst we have been committed to the Living wage from our inception in 2018, we believe that in communicating the standard, it encourages this to be the accepted norm in Wales. Further, we believe that the minimum wage should now be replaced by the Living Wage.

“This is of particular interest to us working in the field of re-building communities by using readily available local resources for the benefit of our soils, of our competence as communities and for our general wealth, health and wellbeing

“A Circular Economy is only circular in name without a living wage. If Wales’s recycling rates, that we as members of Welsh communities have provided, is circulated back into product for its generated wealth only to be enjoyed by the executives or investors of those firms, often living outside of Wales, that is neither circular or sustainable in the long term

“Our literacy around what we mean by circular is being embraced, we are finding increasingly, within communities wanted to build back better. Communities in Wales know all to well what an extractive linear economy looks like. It needs no fancy graphs or academic explanation. It is written into the landscape all around and can be found in the dust-related diseases that still to this day echo in our communities north and south

“The very least we can do, as an organisation, is to proudly embrace and advocate the Living Wage mark as a fundamental building block when designing better communities where our nations young can realistically find stable, creative and well-paid work where they can repay back into community rebuild channeling their energy into the places that molded them to create a better future for all

The Living Wage is the only UK wage rate that is voluntarily paid by over 300 businesses in Wales who believe their staff deserves a wage that meets everyday needs - like the weekly shop, or a surprise trip to the dentist.

Thousands of employees have received a pay rise as a result of the Living Wage in Wales, but many feel there should be thousands more.

The rates for 2020/21 were announced on Monday 9th November 2020. Employers should implement the rise as soon as possible and within 6 months. All employees should receive the new rate by 9th May 2021.

This St David’s Day, Cynnal Cymru, who administer the scheme here in Wales, are asking organisations to think about the little things they can do to ensure no one in Wales has to work for less than the real Living Wage, whether it’s understanding how to become an accredited Living Wage employer, or reaching out to other organisations to encourage them to consider the real Living Wage, or helping us share the positive messages about the difference that paying the real Living Wage can make.

Cynnal Cymru have stated:

“Despite the huge challenges of the past year, we have seen continued momentum around the real Living Wage in Wales. In 2020, 55 employers across all sectors and industries in Wales took the step of accrediting as Living Wage employers, (compared to 56 in 2019). By taking individual action these employers saw a total of 4,300 workers uplifted to a real Living Wage”