Newcastle United becomes a Living Wage Employer to 'ensure staff earn a fair wage'

Newcastle United have announced they have made a commitment to pay staff a 'real living wage' of £9.90 per hour.

The club made a voluntary application to the Living Wage Foundation to become a Living Wage Employer, a scheme that independently calculates a minimum rate of pay in line with the cost of living and sets a benchmark for employers that wish to ensure their staff earn a fair wage.

Co-owner, Amanda Staveley, said: "This is an important part of our people strategy as we work together to deliver our new vision."

The changes will be applied retroactively from the beginning of this month (February) and employees will receive a minimum hourly rate of £9.90 per hour - a higher rate than the National Minimum Wage and National Living Wage.

What is a Real Living Wage?

The real Living Wage rate is higher than the government's Minimum Wage and ‘National Living Wage’ for over 23s.

It is independently calculated and based on what people need to get by.

The campaign was started by Citizens UK in 2001 and has since been adopted by nearly 9,000 organisations across all sectors, including half of the FTSE 100 and household names like the Houses of Parliament, Nationwide and ITV.

A statement from Newcastle United reads: "We recognise that our people, including staff - the majority of whom live in our local community - and our fans, are at the heart of everything we do."We appreciate the contribution of all employees and acknowledge that the everyday operations of the club, including matchdays, could not happen without their hard work and dedication.

"Newcastle United is fully committed to supporting them, including through wages that reflect their value and meet the everyday needs of individuals and their families - not just the government minimum."