Star Uretech have become the first resin bound/bonded manufacturer to receive accreditation from the living wage foundation.

The Living Wage Foundation is pleased to announce that Star Uretech, has today accredited as a Living Wage employer.

The Living Wage commitment will see everyone working at Star Uretech, regardless of whether they are permanent employees or third-party contractors; receive a minimum hourly wage of £8.45 - significantly higher than the national minimum wage of £6.95 and the new minimum wage premium for over 25s of £7.20 per hour introduced this April.

The Living Wage is an hourly rate set independently and updated annually. The Living Wage is calculated according to the basic cost of living using the ‘Minimum Income Standard’ for the UK. Decisions about what to include in this standard are set by the public; it is a social consensus about what people need to make ends meet.

Mark Almond, General Manager at Star Uretech says “As a company our ethos differs from what has become standard practice and paying our staff a decent wage for a hard day’s work is just one of the changes we have made to how Star Uretech operates. We place great importance on the well-being of our staff, our honesty regarding our products and a general desire to do the right thing. Morals and profit are not mutually exclusive and our ethical approach to business not only helps us to retain our customers but is playing a large role in securing new customers and helping our business grow. We have always been a market leader in our industry and hopefully other companies will continue to follow our lead and make the living wage commitment.”

Employers choose to pay the Living Wage on a voluntary basis. The Living Wage enjoys cross party support, with public backing from the Prime Minister and the Leader of the Opposition. Living Wage Foundation Director, Katherine Chapman said: “We are delighted to welcome Star Uretech to the Living Wage movement as an accredited employer. “The best employers are voluntarily signing up to pay the Living Wage now. The Living Wage is a robust calculation that reflects the real cost of living, rewarding a hard day’s work with a fair day’s pay.

“We have accredited nearly 3,000 leading employers, including Star Uretech, ranging from independent printers, bookshops and breweries, to well-known companies such as Nationwide, Aviva and SSE. These businesses recognise that clinging to the National Living Wage is not good for business. Customers expect better than that."