Good news, employees of Chelsea: the club has become the first Premier League organisation to agree to pay employees the living wage, rather than the minimum wage.
Chelsea has made a commitment with the Living Wage Foundation, which aims to make employers agree to pay their staff a wage required to afford basic living, rather than the current minimum wage in the UK. This will mean that Chelsea employees living in London will now receive a minimum of £9.15 an hour, while employees living elsewhere in the UK will receive a minimum of £6.50 an hour.
Speaking of the new commitment, Chelsea chairman Bruce Buck said: “We believe the move to the living wage underlines our commitment to ensuring that all our employees receive a fair rate of pay for their hard work and dedication. Quite simply, it is the right thing to do.”
Mayor of London Boris Johnson, a member of the government who is choosing not to raise the minimum wage, agreed with Chelsea’s decision, saying: “They realise their team is more than just the 11 men out on the pitch, and that by putting more pounds in the pockets of their staff they are signing up to a win-win scenario that rewards a hard day’s work with a fair day’s pay for everyone.”
League Two club Luton Town has also signed up to the agreement, with chief executive Gary Sweet saying that the club has “a responsibility” to their staff to pay them fairly.
