From the 10th – 16th November, Living Wage Week is the annual celebration of the Living Wage movement, run by the Living Wage Foundation. First launched in 2001, the Living Wage campaign advocates for everyone to earn in accordance with increasing living costs.
Corps Security is proud to be one of the 16,000 employers committed to providing the Real Living Wage (RLW). As a Living Wage Recognised Service Provider, we are committed to paying all directly employed members of staff the RLW or above, and advocate for it in every client bid. As of today, 97 per cent of our colleagues earn at or above the RLW. This year, the Living Wage Week theme “The difference it makes” highlights how the day-to-day impact the wage has on people’s lives.
What the difference means
Earlier this month, the Living Wage Foundation announced that the RLW will increase to £14.90 (a 6.9 per cent increase) in London and £13.45 (a 6.7 per cent increase) across the rest of the UK. Every year, the independent body of the Living Wage Commission calculates the wage, based on a public consultation method called the ‘Minimum Income Standard.’
The increase has a significant impact on every worker as we tackle the ongoing high costs of living. For security officers, our CEO, Mike Bullock, who previously co-chaired the Recognised Service Provider steering group, reflected on the impact it has:
“We proudly continue to champion fair pay across our industry and urge all employers to join us in ensuring colleagues are paid a wage they can truly live on.
“Security officers working on the front line face a unique set of challenges. They are often the first responders in emergencies, managing everything from public safety incidents to medical situations. Their roles demand vigilance, resilience, and the ability to remain calm and professional under pressure.
“Ensuring that security officers receive fair pay through the Real Living Wage recognises the critical role they play and provides the financial stability and respect they so rightly deserve.”
Advocating for change
As the Living Wage Foundation’s toolkit outlines, competitive tenders often involve a race to the bottom, with providers trying to offer lower rates than competitors. Acknowledging that our officers provide an essential service to businesses should also mean acknowledging that they deserve fair wages, especially during competitive tenders.
Advocating for the RLW at each client site also improves our business: those who earn it are more likely to stay, and it improves productivity, meaning that we provide better services to our customers.
Find out more
Paying the Real Living Wage clearly makes a difference to the everyday lives of service workers, including cleaners, caterers, hospitality workers, and, of course, security officers.
Living Wage Week runs from the 10th to the 16th of November, with events happening up and down the country for people to gather, raise awareness and discuss the changes their organisations are making.
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