St Mary’s Celebrates Being a London Living Wage Employer

St Mary’s University, Twickenham is celebrating its first academic year of being a London Living Wage employer, with more than 100 members of staff benefiting from the scheme so far. The University, which does not outsource any of its staff, was accredited as a London Living Wage Employer in September 2013 and is one of only nine other Higher Education Institutions in the UK with the title. It means that all staff are paid above the minimum wage in line with the cost of living in London. The Living Wage is independently set and reviewed and to be accredited, employers must demonstrate its commitment to going beyond the basic wage requirements. It means that not only staff, but students and external partners working with the University can be confident that they are part of an ethical community. St Mary’s first opened its doors in 1850 and its Catholic ethos is deep rooted within the institutions, which began by offering teacher training to poor Catholic students. This ethos continues today, with a significant number of its 5,000 students from underrepresented groups and a policy of fair pay to employees. In addition to the London Living Wage, St Mary’s is also accredited with the Pension Quality Mark (PQM) for its Defined Contribution Scheme. The PQM is a quality standard recognised by the HR and pensions industry as well as the Government. MP for Twickenham and Business Secretary Dr Vince Cable said, “I welcome St Mary’s decision and encourage all businesses to pay their staff above the minimum wage when it is affordable and not at the expense of jobs.”