BALLYMUN based furniture giant IKEA has become the latest company to introduce a ‘Living Wage’ for all of its staff and up to 413 employees are benefiting from a pay increase introduced from April 1.
The Swedish retailer follows energy suppliers SSE and German supermarket chain Lidl as some of the first companies in Ireland to introduce the Living Wage for staff.
IKEA’s Ballymun staff have received a pay rise to €11.50 an hour – an increase store manager Marsha Smith describes as having a “real and lasting benefit”.
“At IKEA, we believe in investing in our co-workers and this latest initiative is a further example of our continued commitment to co-worker development and conditions,” she said.
“Implementing the Living Wage is not only the right thing to do for our co-workers, but it also makes commercial sense.”
The pay increase is over €2 higher than the national minimum wage of €9.15 per hour with full-time staff expected to pocket around €450 per week.
In addition to introducing the Living Wage, the company is also set to boost the wages of 129 team leaders as well as giving staff members one in every four weekends off.
“It is vital to the ongoing success and sustainability of the business that we retain co-workers as well as attract the top talent in the local market place,” added Smith.
Jack O’Toole