ALL Gwynedd Council staff will be paid more than the national “living wage” after members unanimously approved its new pay policy for 2019/20.

As a result, from April the lowest paid employees will now receive at least £9.18 an hour, which exceeds both with the UK Government’s recognised national living wage of £8.21 as well as the £9.00 rate specified by the Living Wage Foundation.

While posts at Chief Officer level will remain unchanged for the sixth year in a row due to the financial climate, staff below this level will receive a 2% increase during 2019/20.

“This is something that’s important to me and many of you I’m sure,” Cllr Nia Jeffreys, the cabinet member for corporate support, told Thursday’s full council meeting. The reality of this is that cleaner who would have been on £7.90 an hour in 2017, is now on £9.18 an hour, the same goes for a carer who would have been on £8.51 will now be on £9.55.

“This is something we can all be proud of.” Cllr Elin Walker Jones said that she was “incredibly glad” to see the council take steps to address social inequality. Independent member, Cllr Louise Hughes, added: “I fully support our lowest paid workers receiving an increase."