OXFORD City Council is launching an accreditation scheme for local companies paying the Oxford Living Wage - and celebrating those organisations that pay it.

The Lord Mayor of Oxford will present certificates to the first accredited employers in Oxford Town Hall tomorrow.

The wage is an hourly pay rate – currently £10.02 an hour – that employers voluntarily pay as a minimum wage to all staff and temporary workers over 18.

READ AGAIN: Uni institutions slammed for not paying Oxford Living Wage

Certificates will be given to Campion Hall, Citizens Advice Oxford, Community First Oxford, Good Food Oxford, My Life My Choice, Oxford Bus Company, Oxford Direct Services, Oxford Quakers and the City Council itself.

The Lord Mayor, Councillor Colin Cook, explained: “People in Oxford work hard and deserve fair pay for their efforts, so I am really pleased to be able to recognise local employers who pay the Oxford Living Wage as a minimum to their employees.”

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Ben McCay, Chair of Trustees at My Life My Choice, added: “For us it’s all about equality, fairness, and respect. Our staff are valued and one of the ways we show this is by paying them a decent wage.”

The city council leader, Susan Brown, has previously slammed Oxford University colleges for not paying the rate, which was recently touted as the amount necessary to afford a healthy, balanced diet.

READ MORE: Oxford Living Wage: Healthy eating difficult for those paid less

Simon Howick, Managing Director at the council's commercial arm, Oxford Direct Services, said: "We believe paying the Oxford Living Wage is the minimum we should commit to in order to help our staff with the high cost of living in Oxford and to show them that Oxford Direct Services cares.

"But it also makes sense for businesses as well. Paying the Oxford Living Wage can help to improve staff motivation and retention, quality of work and customer service."

For more information, visit oxford.gov.uk/livingwage