Almost 1,000 workers in the borough have received a pay rise as a direct result of their employer signing up to become London Living Wage accredited.

A boost to pay packets was just one of the benefits highlighted at a special awards ceremony hosted by Ealing Council, which recognised the achievements of London Living Wage employers in the borough – employers who pay an hourly rate of at least £13.85 which is calculated based on what people need to live in the capital.

Last night (Thursday 27 March), the London Living Wage in Ealing Awards celebrated accredited employers who have made exceptional contributions to their employees, sectors, and communities.

The event was held at the University of West London (UWL), and attended by the council’s deputy leader Councillor Louise Brett, the council’s cabinet member for decent living incomes Councillor Kamaljit Nagpal, representatives from a host of partner organisations, accredited employers, and those looking to learn more about becoming accredited.

Ealing Council and the council’s London Living Wage action group organised the ceremony with support from West London Business, POW workshops, UWL Student Union, and Odyssey Studio.

Award-winning businesses

Nearly 150 of the borough’s employers are either already accredited, or in the process of becoming a London Living Wage employer.

Awards for 8 categories were up for grabs, and the winners were:

• POW Workshops for the creative sector award, leading the way in the creative and digital industries
• Brompton Bicycle Limited for the green and circular economy sector award, for low carbon and resource efficiency
• Benchmark Scaffolding for the construction sector award, leading the way
• Southall Community Alliance for the charity or not-for-profit organisation award, leading the way in the third sector
• WellWorking Ltd for the sustainability award, going above and beyond to tackle the climate crisis
• Greener Ealing for the innovation award, demonstrating best practice in innovation
• Borough Broth Co. for the equality, diversity, and inclusion award, demonstrating best practice in this area
• Young Ealing Foundation for the social impact award, making a positive contribution towards the wellbeing of our communities

Winning employers received cash prizes and bespoke awards designed and built by POW Workshops using sustainable materials.

Mind Food and City Harvest were both highly commended for the charity or not-for-profit category.

‘Pay the right people fairly’

Council leader Peter Mason said: “Our work to encourage more employers to pay the London Living Wage is having a real impact on household finances for local people. Almost 1,000 workers have received a pay rise as a result of their employers becoming accredited, and are now paid at a rate which enables them to cover the basics and save.

“There are now more than 85 London Living Wage employers in the borough with more than 60 others in the process of becoming accredited. Those companies are benefitting from our generous incentive scheme. Local employers are encouraged to get involved today if they haven’t already. Paying the London Living Wage helps secure more good jobs in the borough, with the right people being paid fairly and building careers with their employers.” 

Councillor Kamaljit Nagpal, the council’s cabinet member for decent living incomes, said: “Congratulations to all the winners. It was inspiring to hear stories of success from some of the borough’s local employers at this special awards event. Our borough is fortunate to host some fantastic businesses and organisations, with an increasing number of them now paying the London Living Wage. Our award winners have all shown themselves to be both exemplary in their fields and dedicated to supporting their staff.”

Support to get accredited

Being accredited is good for business. Employers who sign up to become accredited will be able to access a range of great benefits from Ealing Council including free employee training and business support programmes, grants to cover costs, and free recruitment services.

Speak to a member of the team by emailing invest@ealing.gov.uk, or fill in a short online form to express an interest in becoming an accredited employer.