Shropshire builder McPhillips gains real living wage accreditation

Shropshire builder McPhillips has become the first construction firm in the county to be accredited by the Living Wage Foundation as a ‘Real Living Wage’ employer.

The Telford-based company’s commitment will see all 240 of its directly employed workforce receive a minimum hourly wage of £12.60, higher than the government minimum for over 21s, which currently stands at £12.21 per hour.

Under the Living Wage Foundation’s accreditation scheme, more than 16,000 employers have secured over £3.6 billion of pay rises for low paid workers since 2011.

McPhillips is one of 36 companies in the construction sector in the West Midlands who are accredited as Real Living Wage employers.

“Unlike many in our sector, we directly employ all 240 of our people because it means we can properly invest in training, maintain quality standards and genuinely look after our team,” said Paul Inions, managing director of McPhillips.

“Making this commitment to the Real Living Wage is particularly significant given the recent increase in National Insurance contributions which have hit all employers this year. But our people have always been our most important asset.

“The benefits go beyond our workforce too. Around 80% of our team live within 20 miles of our Shropshire base, which means these wages are being earned and spent locally – supporting other businesses, families and communities right here in our regional economy.”#

Statistics produced by the Living Wage Foundation show that in the West Midlands region, 18.3% of all workers earn less than they need to get by, with around 418,000 jobs paying less than the real living wage.

Katherine Chapman, director of the Living Wage Foundation, added: “We’re delighted that McPhillips has joined the movement of over 16,000 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.”