Ikea is about to do something no national company has done before

The Swedish furniture giant Ikea has become the first national retailer to promise its staff a living wage.

The furniture outlet, which has 18 UK stores, will be raising its rates so that all employees receive basic pay of £7.85 per hour, and those in London – where the cost of living is higher – are paid £9.15 per hour.

Rhys Moore, the director of the Living Wage Foundation, which has campaigned on the issue since 2010 and has now accredited Ikea as a “Living Wage Employer”, said the news was a “huge step” in the movement for fair pay.

He continued: “It sends out a clear marker to the sector that businesses that can, should pay the voluntary rate.”

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