A scaffolding company is among the latest firms to have received accreditation as a Jersey Living Wage employer – while the charity behind the scheme calls for election candidates to take note of its importance amid rising food bank usage.
A&A Scaffolding Solutions received the accreditation as part of a campaign by Caritas Jersey, which is licensed by the Living Wage Foundation in the UK to manage and co-ordinate the promotion of the rate in the island.
Currently set at £15.10 per hour, the Jersey Living Wage is separate from the minimum wage and takes into account the cost of living, taxes and the value of benefits available to working people on low incomes.
We encourage the many election candidates to focus on A&A’s accreditation and the need to follow their example and commit to a Living Wage for all islanders
Caritas Jersey chief executive patrick lynch
A&A managing director Alex Wareham said the accreditation “reflects our commitment to doing things properly, working to recognised standards, investing in our people, and maintaining quality across everything we do”.
He continued: “Paying the Jersey Living Wage is part of that. It’s about valuing our workforce, supporting fair pay, and helping raise standards across the industry.”
Caritas Jersey chief executive Patrick Lynch, said: “We are very happy to welcome A&A Scaffolding as the latest Jersey Living Wage accredited employer. We are very encouraged by A&A and the many other companies at present looking to achieve accreditation.”
He continued: “This is contrast to the many candidates in this year’s general election. We have been very surprised and disappointed to see the lack of focus or, indeed, mention of the Living Wage in the candidates’ literature.
“This is in contrast to 2022 where a majority of candidates were focussed on this.”
He noted that, in the four years since the last election, one foodbank had seen a rise in usage from 195 families to over 650 families.
“Those new foodbank users are almost exclusively people on minimum or low wages,” Mr Lynch added.
“We encourage the many election candidates to focus on A&A’s accreditation and the need to follow their example and commit to a Living Wage for all islanders. Our congratulations again to A&A.”
