Greater Manchester joins Rochdale in offering living wage to social care staff

Photo: Yui Mok/PA Wire

The rest of Greater Manchester is set to join Rochdale in offering social care staff a living wage, in plans announced by Mayor Andy Burnham.

Rochdale Borough Council introduced a real living wage for social care staff last year and now the rest of the city-region is set to join the borough.

By the end of the year, more than half of Greater Manchester’s 10 boroughs will be paying the real Living Wage, soon to be £9.90 per hour.

The remaining boroughs are on track to deliver the same hourly rate for their adult social care staff soon after.

It will continue the work launched in November 2021 to develop Greater Manchester as the first real Living Wage City Region, collaborating with employers across sectors.

Councillor Neil Emmott,  leader of Rochdale Borough Council, said: “Our Real Living Wage was implemented twelve months ago, boosting the pay packets of thousands of frontline care workers across our borough.

“Looking after elderly and vulnerable residents is an essential role and the work of our care staff throughout the pandemic, providing care and support round the clock, has been absolutely incredible.

“The pay increase is the least they deserve and I am proud that Rochdale has again led the way and this pioneering policy is set to be implemented across Greater Manchester.”

Mayor Andy Burnham said: “Greater Manchester is the first city-region to commit to paying the real Living Wage to social care workers. We want to ensure that people working in Greater Manchester receive fair pay, have decent working conditions, and experience opportunities to develop and progress.

“Greater Manchester has come a long way in a short space of time. But the pandemic has laid bare inequalities in our city-region.

“In this new era for this place, all parts of Greater Manchester will come together and deliver a fairer, greener, more prosperous conurbation for every person living and working here.”