< Go back to all news

Talyllyn Railway has today (27th April 22) accredited as a Living Wage Employer. Their Living Wage commitment will see everyone over 18 working at Talyllyn Railway receive a minimum hourly wage of £9.90, significantly higher than the government minimum for over 23s, which currently stands at £9.50 per hour.

Talyllyn Railway is based in Wales, a region where almost a fifth of all workers (17.9%) earn less than they need to get by, with around 223,000 jobs paying less than the real Living Wage. Despite this, the Talyllyn has committed to pay the real Living Wage and deliver a fair day’s pay for a hard day’s work.

The real Living Wage is the only rate calculated according to the costs of living. It provides a voluntary benchmark for employers that wish to ensure their staff earn a wage they can live on, not just the government minimum. Since 2011 the Living Wage movement has delivered a pay rise to over 300,000 people and put over £1.6 billion extra into the pockets of low paid workers.

Stuart Williams, general manager at the Talyllyn Railway commented, “We’ve always believed that everyone putting in a day’s work deserves a fair day’s pay. Becoming a Living Wage accredited employer underlines our commitment to this. At the Talyllyn Railway, we put a lot of energy into maintaining a sustainable and responsible business culture. Treating staff well – and going beyond legislative requirements – is an important aspect of this.”

 

Katherine Chapman, Director, Living Wage Foundation said: “We’re delighted that Talyllyn Railway has joined the movement of almost 9,000 responsible employers across the UK who voluntarily commit to go further than the government minimum to make sure all their staff earn enough to live on.

“They join thousands of small businesses, as well as household names such as Burberry, Barclays, Everton Football Club and many more. These businesses recognise that paying the real Living Wage is the mark of a responsible employer and they, like Talyllyn Railway, believe that a hard day’s work deserves a fair day’s pay.”