Frome’s largest music and entertainment venue, market hall and community centre, is backing a national campaign to improve pay and living standards and is going to practice what it preaches.
Director, Steve Macarthur said, “From April no one who is employed by the Cheese and Grain would earn less than the living wage and this means that many of the staff will be seeing a 10% pay rise.
“It’s good for families especially, as many children in Frome live in households struggling to cope financially. But the living wage is good for business too, as higher wages means lower staff turnover and more motivated workers.
“It focuses minds on productivity; as workers need to create more value and business need to be more efficient. Paying better will contribute to making the Cheese and Grain a more successful social enterprise. Low wage economies are bad news overall – workers are consumers too.”
18 staff members will see their wages rise. The only exception will be apprentices on training allowances, but apprentices receive free training, gain qualifications and can claim a range of expenses.
For more details go to www.livingwage.org.uk or www.cheeseandgrain.com
