A REPORT released this week shows that one in four employees in the South West earn less than the Living Wage.

The report, published by KPMG, leading provider of professional services including audit, tax and advisory, estimates that a quarter of workers in the South West – 472,000 people – earn less than £7.85 per hour – £16,328 per year for a forty hour working week.

This is 21 per cent higher than the National Minimum Wage in the UK, currently £6.50 an hour for adults aged 21 and over, and £5.13 for those aged 18 to 20.

Bartons Solicitors, of Salcombe, were one of the first South West Businesses to pay the living wage.

Raymond Hayes, solicitor and chairman at Bartons said: 'Bartons were awarded accreditation by 'The Living Wage Found-ation' in August 2013 having adopted the Foundation's principles in 2012 when we first became aware of this movement.

'It was not a difficult decision to make, as it was universally accepted at all levels within our organisation, along with a commitment to invest in skills and training.

'Simply put, we value the workforce and believe that the living wage has to be the base line from which we build our pay structure.

'I believe we were one of the first organisations in the South West of England and certainly one of the first firms of solicitors to sign up.

'It has had a positive effect on morale and therefore productivity.'

Nigel Costley, regi-onal secretary of the South West Trade Union Congress said: 'People deserve a fair day's pay for an honest day's work.

'But low pay is blighting the lives of hundreds of thousands of families in the South West.

'And it's adding to the deficit, because it means more spent on tax credits and less collected in tax.

'The fact is there are employers out there in the South West who can afford to pay living wages, but aren't.

'It is now time for all responsible employers to commit to adopting this standard, which enables workers to earn enough to be able to live a decent life.'