A SOUTH Worcestershire security company has become the first in the area to commit to the Living Wage principle.

Cotswold Security, which operates from Evesham and Broadway, has been accredited as a Living Wage employer by the Living Wage Foundation.

Managing director James Caine said: "Cotswold Security chose to join the Living Wage Foundation as we believe all security staff deserve the right to a proper wage for the dangerous work they undertake. We are the first security company in the four counties we cover (Gloucestershire, Oxfordshire, Warwickshire, Worcestershire) to commit to the Living Wage Foundation and take pride in this accreditation, which helps to prove our professional working practices.”

The Living Wage commitment will see everyone working at Cotswold Security, regardless of whether they are permanent employees or third-party contractors and suppliers, receive a minimum hourly wage of £7.85, which is significantly higher than the national minimum wage of £6.50. The Living Wage is an hourly rate set independently and updated annually and calculated according to the basic cost of living using the ‘Minimum Income Standard’ for the UK.

Living Wage Foundation director Rhys Moore added: “We are delighted to welcome Cotswold Security to the Living Wage movement as an accredited employer. The best employers are voluntarily signing up to pay the Living Wage now. The Living Wage is a robust calculation that reflects the real cost of living, rewarding a hard day’s work with a fair day’s pay.

“We have accredited more than 1,000 leading employers, ranging from independent printers, bookshops and breweries, to well-known companies such as Nationwide, Aviva and SSE. These businesses recognise that clinging to the national minimum wage is not good for business. Customers expect better than that. "

Employers choose to pay the Living Wage on a voluntary basis.