WRDA CELEBRATES COMMITMENT TO REAL LIVING WAGE

‍ The Women’s Resource and Development Agency (WRDA) has today accredited as a Living Wage Employer.

 WRDA is based in Northern Ireland, the region with the second highest rate of low pay in the UK, where 17.3% of jobs pay less than the real Living Wage – around 203,000 jobs. Women are over-represented in low paid, part time and precarious work and as a feminist organisation WRDA believes all employers should be held to the Living Wage standard as a minimum. 

The Living Wage Foundation’s real Living Wage remains the only UK wage rate independently calculated based on the cost of living, rising annually based on living costs. It gives employers the confidence they are paying a wage that meets everyday needs, not just the government minimum. Over 16,000 accredited employers have secured over £4.1 billion of pay rises for low paid workers since 2011 and made a profound difference to millions of lives around the UK. 

Anne McVicker, Director of WRDA, said: “As a feminist organisation we support the Good Jobs Bill and the Living Wage and work to see a decent standard of living become the reality for every woman and her family in Northern Ireland. As a leader in the women’s movement and the Community and Voluntary Sector in NI, we are delighted to be accredited as a Living Wage employer”.  

Graham Griffiths, Interim Director, Living Wage Foundation said: “We’re delighted that WRDA has joined the movement of over 16,000 responsible employers across the UK who voluntarily commit to go further than the government minimum to make sure all their staff earn enough to live on.  ‍

“They join thousands of small businesses, as well as household names such as Burberry, Barclays, Everton Football Club and many more. These businesses recognise that paying the real Living Wage is the mark of a responsible employer and they, like WRDA, believe that everyone needs to be able to live with dignity and have a decent standard of living." 

-ENDS -

Media Contact

Megan McClure, Public Relations and Membership Coordinator: info@wrda.net  

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NOTES TO EDITORS: 

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What is the real Living Wage?

The Living Wage Foundation’s real Living Wage remains the only UK wage rate independently calculated based on the cost of living, rising annually based on living costs. It gives employers the confidence they are paying a wage that meets everyday needs. The real Living Wage applies to all workers over 18 – in recognition that young people face the same living costs as everyone else. This year’s rates are £13.45 across the UK, and £14.80 in London. These figures are calculated annually by the Resolution Foundation and overseen by the Living Wage Commission, based on the best available evidence on living standards in the UK and in London.  

Over 16,000 accredited employers choose to pay the real Living Wage on a voluntary basis. The campaign for a real Living Wage has secured over £4.1bn of pay rises for low paid workers and made a profound difference to millions of lives around the UK since it began 25 years ago. It enjoys cross party support. 

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About the Living Wage Foundation

The Living Wage Foundation is the organisation at the heart of the independent movement of employers, people and communities who believe in work that works for everyone. Together we are driving up employment standards so that everyone has a decent standard of living now and in the future. Through our Living Wage, Living Hours and Living Pension accreditations, we champion and celebrate employers who make an ongoing commitment to do the right thing by their employees by providing the security and freedom they need to thrive. The Living Wage Foundation is part of Citizens UK; the UK’s biggest, most diverse and effective people powered alliance. Our accreditation schemes make change on the issues that matter. The Living Wage Foundation receives guidance and advice from the Living Wage Advisory Council. The Foundation is supported by our principal partners: Aviva; IKEA; Joseph Rowntree Foundation; KPMG; Linklaters; Nationwide; Nestle; Resolution Foundation; Oxfam; Trust for London; People’s Health Trust; and Queen Mary University of London. 

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What about the Government’s national living wage?  

In July 2015 the Chancellor of the Exchequer announced that the UK Government would introduce a compulsory ‘national living wage’ (NLW). This new government rate was a new minimum wage for staff over 25 years old. It was introduced in April 2016 and the rate is £12.71 as of April 2025. From April 2024 it applies to everyone over 21 years old.   

The rate is different to the Living Wage rates calculated by the Living Wage Foundation. The government rate is based on median earnings, while the Living Wage Foundation rates remain the only ones calculated according to the cost of living in London and the UK. A full-time worker paid the £13.45 real Living Wage will receive £1,443 in additional wages annually compared to the current Government minimum. For a full-time worker paid the £14.80 London Living Wage this figure rises to £4,076. 

For more about the difference and how we calculate our rates see our website.