UK manufacturer of power and distribution transformers, Winder Power, has been shortlisted by the Living Wage Foundation for the Living Wage Champion Awards 2016 in the Yorkshire & Humber region.

The awards recognise Living Wage Foundation employers who have made significant contributions to communities and industries by implementing and celebrating the Living Wage, an hourly rate set independently by the Foundation and updated each year, 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; a social consensus about the amount people require to make ends meet, and Winder Power has been a proud supporter of the initiative over the last three years.

There are currently more than 2,700 accredited Living Wage Foundation employers throughout the UK, all who have signed up voluntarily, who recognise that adhering to the Government’s national living minimum wage is not good for business. As a living wage employer, this commitment means that every employee at Winder Power, regardless of whether they are permanent employees or third-party contractors; receive a minimum hourly wage of £8.25 – significantly higher than the Government’s national living wage of £7.20.

Speaking following the shortlist announcement, Laurence MacKenzie, group chief executive of Winder Power, said, “We’re absolutely delighted to have been recognised by the Living Wage Foundation and to have been shortlisted for their Living Wage Champion Awards. Making a public commitment to be a responsible employer is important for Winder Power as many Winder Power staff are from the local community and we are a proud British manufacturer producing all of our products in Yorkshire. We are committed to ensuring that we provide this community, and the UK, with sustainable employment and maintain, and indeed create, jobs in this country; and we believe the Living Wage Foundation accreditation aids us in this objective.”