WAGE LEADER . . . web-design business Creatomatic in Annan have become the first business in the town to become officially accredited as paying The Living Wage. Pictured, left to right: Paul Gardner, Chris McWhinnie, Kit Allen, James Miodonski and James Hall
Creatomatic was launched in 2012, and its co-founder Kit Allen says the High Street company had always met the The Living Wage’s requirement of at least £8.25 an hour.
However, Kit said: “We’d been aware of the campaign for a while, and were already paying the Living Wage wages since we started up, and before we knew of the campaign.”
Kit added: “We got a letter through from the council telling us about the Living Wage system and so we spoke to The Poverty Alliance who run the system.”
Creatomatic received a guide and an application pack, and were required to provide evidence of the current salaries of its five employees. And Kit says it was felt important to support the national standard, which encourages businesses to pay a salary above the legally required Minimum Wage of £6.70 an hour.
Kit said: “I think it’s an excellent campaign to get behind.”
As the first business in Annan and only the 12th so far in Dumfries and Galloway to adopt the scheme, he added: “There’s a lot of people who are in work and yet living in poverty, and that’s evidenced by the growing rates of food banks.
“It’s something that’s quite close to our hearts anyway, and it’s well worth making people aware that while you can pay somebody the Minimum Wage it’s still not necessarily enough to make a living on.”
Creatomatic are proud to lead the way as the first business in the Annan area to qualify.
Praising the firm, Dumfries and Galloway Council Leader Ronnie Nicholson said: “I am delighted to hear that Creatomatic has signed up to pay the Living Wage, and is leading the way in Annan. “To learn that this is a direct result of them receiving our letter promoting the Living Wage is extremely rewarding.”
He added: “Hopefully by seeing that this young company is valuing its staff, other businesses in the region, whatever their size, will follow suit.”
* To find out about how to gain accreditation as a Living Wage employer, visit http://scottishlivingwage.org/
