Land of the living

Why dozens of Market traders are choosing to become accredited as Living Wage Employers

“THE TRUST’S FOCUS IS ON ENCOURAGING EVEN MORE OF THE MARKET’S TRADERS TO GAIN ACCREDITATION OF THEIR OWN”

Image: Sim Canetty-Clarke

If in recent months you happen to have browsed the trader listings on this website, you may have noticed atop a growing number of their profiles a colourful logo of interlinking circles containing the words ‘Living Wage Employer’.

So, what does that mean? Administered by a charity called the Living Wage Foundation, this independent accreditation assures shoppers that every employee of the business in question is guaranteed a level of pay that meets their essential needs.

‘Living’, by this definition, is about more than just surviving. The Foundation’s minimum rate, which is updated every year, reflects the changing cost of a ‘basket’ of goods and services deemed necessary for a happy, fulfilling, dignified life. As well as having a roof over your head, food in the fridge and clothes to wear, that might include an annual holiday, a trip to the cinema, a birthday celebration – simple pleasures that far too many workers in the UK are forced to forgo. The current London Living Wage for over-18s is £13.85, much higher than the statutory rates of £11.44 for over-21s and £8.60 for under-21s. As costs go up, so too will that all-important number.

The charitable trust that runs Borough Market has been a Living Wage Employer since 2016, meaning that the dozens of people whose hard work makes this place tick, from the cleaners and security staff to the office workers behind the scenes, know exactly where they stand. Now, the trust’s focus is on encouraging even more of the Market’s traders to gain accreditation of their own. “Ultimately, our aspiration is that everyone working in the Market, not just our own staff, will be able to enjoy the sense of security provided by this hugely meaningful commitment,” says Jane Swift, Borough Market’s CEO.

The moral imperatives may be obvious, but the benefits for employers of gaining the accreditation go much further than a clear conscience. “The viability of this industry relies on people wanting to work in it,” says Jon Thrupp of Mons Cheesemongers, one of the first businesses to join the Market’s growing ranks of accredited traders. The Living Wage offers a compelling reason for potential new recruits to give it a go.

Like most traders, Jon’s business has always been committed to paying its people properly, but the accreditation fixes the parameters of that commitment in a way that can be easily understood by all concerned. “To a younger generation of people looking for employment in London, which has never got any cheaper, it’s a quick way of communicating that we’re trying to make it fair from the beginning,” he explains. A proper wage, he continues, shouldn’t be something “you have to earn a right to after many years of service”.

Coles Loomi, manager of Jumi Cheese, another trader that proudly sports that colourful logo, strongly agrees: “It’s an amazing way to tell people who are interested in starting a career in the cheese world: ‘We’ve got you; this is the baseline, guaranteed.’”

Borough Market’s accredited Living Wage Employers

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