tion as a Living Wage employer in the UK. The accreditation covers approximately 8,000 employees across Nestlé UK and its sister companies, which include: Nestlé Nutrition, Nestlé Professional, Nestlé Waters and Nestlé Purina Petcare.Nestlé UK & Ireland Chairman and CEO, Fiona Kendrick says: “We are proud to be the first mainstream manufacturer in the UK to become a Living Wage employer and see this as an opportunity to be a positive influence in our sector. As a major UK employer, we know that this is the right thing to do. Not only does it benefit our employees but also the communities they live and work in.”
Living Wage Foundation Director, Rhys Moore says: “The accreditation of Nestlé as a Living Wage employer marks a significant milestone in the campaign to tackle in-work poverty. Nestlé is the first FMCG company to join the Living Wage movement, bringing the Living Wage to every shelf, shop and home in the UK. We hope that the leadership they have shown will encourage others in this industry to follow suit and improve conditions for those at the lowest end of the pay scale and sub-contracted staff. We are aware that Nestlé is going above and beyond the basic requirements of becoming an accredited employer, and is extending their commitment to graduate, internship and school leaver programmes. This is fantastic news, demonstrating that businesses who can, should do more wherever possible.”
Nestlé has been working in partnership with its trade union partners, Unite, GMB and USDAW on the journey towards accreditation, and are pleased to have their full backing and support throughout this process.
Len McCluskey, General Secretary of Unite, says: “We are delighted to have worked with Nestlé to secure a living wage for all staff directly and indirectly employed by the company. It was secured in the spirit of cooperation and a willingness to start to tackle poverty pay in a traditionally low paying sector. With in-work poverty on the rise, many employers are simply ignoring their responsibility to pay staff a decent wage. They should take note from Nestlé’s positive stance which shows that paying a living wage is not just good for communities but makes good business sense too.”
Paul Kenny, General Secretary of the GMB Union, say: “It just shows what can be achieved when a decent employer works together with progressive unions. Over 2.5m people who are paid the national minimum wage have to top up their pay with welfare benefits to put a roof over their heads and feed the family. It’s ordinary tax payers subsidising bad employment practice and that has to stop.
“Nestle have always recognised their greatest asset is their workforce and are demonstrating this with action, not just words.”
Staff employed directly by Nestlé UK are already paid the Living Wage. The company will now work closely with contractors to ensure that their employees working across Nestlé sites will also be paid the UK Living Wage by December 2017.
As part of the company’s ongoing commitment to the Nestlé Youth Employment Initiative, which provides employment opportunities to young people under 30, the Living Wage will also apply to the company’s graduate, internship and Fast Start school leaver programmes.
