Adnams bosses to forego bonuses as part of sustainability drive
Green SME news – by Louise Bateman
10th November 2014
Bosses at Adnams, the environment-friendly Southwold-based independent brewer, are to forego some of their bonuses in an effort to raise the salaries of the lowest paid workers in the company.
Adnams chief executive Andy Wood said the award-winning regional brewer, hotelier and wine merchant, has agreed to divert part of the senior management’s bonus pool to those least well-paid in the company in a drive to implement the ‘living wage’ at the company.
“My senior leadership team came to me six months ago and said ‘we want to take on the minimum wage […] We think we can do that in two years’,” Wood told delegates at the CBI’s annual conference today.
The move is part a wider sustainability programme at the small family-controlled business, which owns one of the most energy-efficient buildings in the UK, and has partnered on an anaerobic digester plant next to its site with a company called Bio Group.
Social and environmental values
“My senior leadership team came to me six months ago and said ‘we want to take on the minimum wage […] We think we can do that in two years’,” Wood told delegates at the CBI’s annual conference today.
The move is part a wider sustainability programme at the small family-controlled business, which owns one of the most energy-efficient buildings in the UK, and has partnered on an anaerobic digester plant next to its site with a company called Bio Group.
Social and environmental values
“The role of business in society is absolutely interlinked,” Wood said as he took part in a debate on the role of business in raising living standards. “We’re very clear about our purpose and our values and those values are social and environmental.”
Also speaking at the conference was Dr John Sentamu, the Archbishop of York, who made an impassioned speech about income inequality in Britain, throwing down the gauntlet to employers who can afford to pay the living wage to “just get on with it” .
Sentamu pointed to new research by consultants KPMG, which showed more than a fifth of UK workers were paid below the living wage.
“Growth for All”
Also speaking at the conference was Dr John Sentamu, the Archbishop of York, who made an impassioned speech about income inequality in Britain, throwing down the gauntlet to employers who can afford to pay the living wage to “just get on with it” .
Sentamu pointed to new research by consultants KPMG, which showed more than a fifth of UK workers were paid below the living wage.
“Growth for All”
The three main political leaders also spoke at the conference entitled “Growth for All”.
Leader of the opposition Ed Miliband said Labour’s mission was for an “economic recovery that works for everyone, not just the few”, and that his party would work with business to deliver fairness of pay through tax breaks if elected in May 2015.
The Prime Minister David Cameron said he wanted to see more start-up businesses and SMEs and pledged to create three million apprenticeships in the next Parliament.
The CBI published ‘A better off Britain’, today, a report on living standards and how to make sure growth benefits everyone.
The Prime Minister David Cameron said he wanted to see more start-up businesses and SMEs and pledged to create three million apprenticeships in the next Parliament.
The CBI published ‘A better off Britain’, today, a report on living standards and how to make sure growth benefits everyone.
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