Pay rise for '˜30 per cent' of Rother residents

Rother residents are set to benefit among the most in the country from the introduction of the national living wage, according to a recent study.
By The Newsroom
Published 30th Mar 2016, 13:11 BST
Updated 7th Jun 2018, 20:27 BST

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Huw Merriman MP for Bexhill and BattleHuw Merriman MP for Bexhill and Battle
Huw Merriman MP for Bexhill and Battle

A report, compiled by the Resolution Foundation, said 30 per cent of all workers living in Rother will get a pay rise following the introduction of the living wage on Friday, April 1.

This compares to a pay rise for only three per cent of workers in the City of London.

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Rother is the only local authority on the Sussex coast to make the top ten of most affected local authorities in the country.

Huw Merriman, MP for Bexhill and Battle, welcomed the report’s findings: “Despite the constituency being in the top ten of pay rises in the UK for last year, this report shows local residents are still earning less than their counterparts in other areas across the country.

“If this report is showing that 30 per cent of our workers will be getting an immediate pay rise from the government’s new national living wage then this is fantastic news.

“However, this data also shows the need to attract more employers to the area in order to create greater competition for talent and more high-skilled job opportunities.

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“The rates of low pay in our area adds weight to our case for high-speed rail and for regeneration investment.”

The living wage will make it compulsory for all employers to pay staff aged 25 and over an hourly rate of £7.20.

It was announced in 2015 and will rise to an expected £9 per hour by 2020.

Residents living in Torridge will see the biggest difference nationally with 35 per cent of workers expected to benefit from a salary increase.

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Torsten Bell, director of the Resolution Foundation, said the difference in impact across the country highlighted the need for a higher voluntary living wage.

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Related topics:SussexBattleResidentsBexhill