As the first local authority in the island to commit to a living wage for its employees, Ramsey Commissioners have been asked by the Minister for Policy and Reform Chris Thomas to host a visit from a representative of the Living Wage Foundation.

The visit would give interested parties from across the island an opportunity to discover what steps are required to recalculate and accredit Living Wage employers.

Mr Thomas explained that the foundation was ’the organisation at the heart of the independent movement of businesses and people that campaigns for the idea that a hard day’s work deserves a fair day’s pay’.

Furthermore, it ’celebrates and recognises the leadership of responsible employers who choose to go further and pay a real Living Wage based on the cost of living, not just the government minimum’.

The board agreed to liaise with Mr Thomas regarding the visit.

Board member Julia Wedgwood said: ’It’s a feather in our cap that we are the first in the island that accepts that people deserve a living wage’.

The voluntary living wage was approved by Tynwald in October.

A government report has recommended the introduction of a living wage of £8.61 - higer than the top band of the current minimum wage of £7.50.

The living wage is a voluntary figure, whereas minimum wage rates are legally enforceable.

But the concept is employers who adopt the living wage would be able to use that as a ’kite mark’ style endorsement of company values.

The government’s economic affairs division in consultation with the Manx National Economic Development Forum, arrived at the figure.

When it was debated in Tynwald in October, Lawrie Hooper (LibVannin, Ramsey) called on all government departments to ensure none of their workers was paid below the living wage rate.

When he spoke there are 123 government employees paid at an hourly rate below £8.61.

Of those, 85 were new starters whose wage will increase to £8.78 per hour after one year. Also included were 19 health care assistants starting on £8.21.