The Living Wage commitment will see everyone working at Cunninghame Housing Association (CHA); Cunninghame Furniture Recycling Company (CFRC) & Citrus Energy receive a minimum hourly wage of £10.90 per hour. Announced in September last year, this Living Wage rate is higher than the government minimum for over 23s, which currently stands at £10.42 per hour.

In Scotland, 9% of all jobs pay less than the real Living Wage - around 221,000 jobs. Despite this, Cunninghame Housing Association has committed to pay the real Living Wage and deliver a fair day’s pay for a hard day’s work across the Group of Companies.

The real Living Wage is the only UK wage rate calculated according to the costs of living. Employers choose to pay the real Living Wage on a voluntary basis, recognising the value of their workers and ensuring that a hard day’s work receives a fair day’s pay.

Since 2011 the Living Wage movement has delivered a pay rise to over 450,000 people and put over £2 billion extra into the pockets of low paid workers.

Linda Anderson, acting chief executive officer for Cunninghame Housing Association, said: “Having paid the majority of staff at rates exceeding the Living Wage for many years, the Association committed to all staff employed throughout the Group of Companies being paid the Living Wage as a minimum. All three companies within the group are now accredited and the Association are proud to be accredited supporters of the real Living Wage in Scotland and shows our commitment to improving the lives of all staff working directly or indirectly for the CHA Group.”

Peter Kelly, director of The Poverty Alliance, said: “We all need an income that is enough to cover our needs and protect us from poverty, and it’s only right that employers pay a wage that reflects the cost of living. Too many workers in Scotland are paid less than the real Living Wage and, at a time of rising costs, are struggling to stay afloat. The real Living Wage can offer protection from those rising costs.

“Congratulations to the Cunninghame Housing Association Group of Companies on their Living Wage commitment, and I hope more organisations follow their lead by becoming Living Wage accredited.”

Gail Irvine, Living Wage Scotland manager, said: “We’re delighted that the Cunninghame Housing Association Group of Companies has become an accredited Living Wage employer. They join a growing movement of over 3000 employers in Scotland who together want to ensure workers have what they need to thrive.

“Our Living Wage employer network includes lots of smaller employers as well as larger and iconic brands like SSE, abrdn, Barrs, Mackie’s of Scotland, & D.C. Thomson. We hope to see many more employers following their example.”