Chelsea
have become the first English professional football club to be accredited as
a Living Wage employer.
The Living Wage Foundation’s (LWF) accreditation means from January 2015,
Chelsea will pay all employees the Living Wage as a minimum - currently
£9.15 in London or £7.85 an hour outside of London. This is significantly
higher than the current national minimum wage of £6.50 an hour.
Semi-professional FC United of Manchester, who play in the Northern Premier
League Premier Division, were the first football club in Britain to adopt
the Living Wage for its employees.
They were followed by Scottish Championship club Hearts in October while
LutonTown announced on Wednesday they were seeking accreditation from the
LWF.
Chelsea Chairman Bruce Buck said: “As a responsible employer we are proud of
this significant achievement for the club.
“We believe the move to the Living Wage underlines our commitment to
ensuring that all our employees receive a fair rate of pay for their hard
work and dedication. Quite simply it is the right thing to do.”
Mayor of London Boris Johnson said: “Our great football teams are household
names around the world, their every action is scrutinised in microscopic
detail and by becoming the first professional sports team to commit to pay
the London Living Wage Chelsea are setting the right example.
“They realise their team is more than just the 11 men out on the pitch, and
that by putting more pounds in the pockets of their staff they are signing
up to a win-win scenario that rewards a hard day's work with a fair day's
pay for everyone."
Living Wage Foundation Director, Rhys Moore added: “The accreditation of
Chelsea as a Living Wage employer marks a significant milestone in the
campaign. We are delighted that more than 1,000 organisations are now
accredited Living Wage employers, and we see Chelsea’s leadership on this
issue as a mark of a responsible business.”
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