Real Living Wage accreditation for Manchester Airports Group

Manchester Airports Group (MAG) has been formally accredited as a Real Living Wage employer by the Living Wage Foundation.

The accreditation recognises the group, which operates Manchester, London Stansted and East Midlands airports, for its commitment to ensuring all workers are paid an income that covers the cost of living. MAG has been paying colleagues the Real Living Wage since September 2022, and the accreditation formalises meeting the current standard and an ongoing commitment to matching future increases.

Independently calculated, the UK Real Living Wage pays workers a minimum wage that genuinely meets the cost of living, and is based on a basket of goods and services that are required to meet everyday needs, including food, housing and childcare costs.

All 7,000 people directly employed by MAG will now, and in the future continue to receive at least the Real Living Wage – currently £12 per hour, rising to £13.15 in London – and the group is working with other suppliers providing services at its airports to encourage them to do the same.

MAG CEO Ken O’Toole said:

“At MAG we take our responsibility to be a good employer very seriously, and that is why I am very proud to announce our accreditation as a Real Living Wage employer.

“Our colleagues are the lifeblood of our airports, and I am always struck by the exceptional work that goes on day in, day out right across all of our airport campuses.

“Becoming an accredited Real Living Wage employer is an important part of our ongoing commitment to excellent employment, alongside our plans to make MAG as equitable, diverse and inclusive as possible. It’s by delivering on this commitment that we’ll ensure we have the talent we need to grow our business, and local people will see the benefits of living near an airport because of the interesting and high-quality work that’s on offer.”

The Real Living Wage accreditation forms one part of MAG’s Employment Charter and was a commitment made in MAG’s 2020 CSR Strategy, ‘Working together for a brighter future’. The Charter sets out key principles related to the Group’s role as an employer – creating a flexible and supportive work environment, promoting workplace wellness, giving colleagues a voice, continually improving the colleague experience, and offering secure work with fair pay for all.

The Charter also focuses on attracting and hiring diverse talent that reflects the communities surrounding the Group’s airports. Data on diversity is shared quarterly with MAG’s Executive Committee and Board to measure performance against targets such as 50% female leadership representation by 2033, 12% ethnic minority leadership representation by 2026 and 12% leadership representation of colleagues under 25 by 2025.