Steve Smith challenged other businesses to follow his lead
A superstar boss has upped his employees’ salaries 12 per cent because he believes “it’s the right thing to do”.
Steve Smith from Middlesbrough announced the pay rise for everyone working at Teeside Rigging & Lifting as the cost of living crisis continues to cripple the nation.
Inflation is at a 40-year high, with the price of food, fuel and energy soaring, all while oil companies, post record profits. BP on Tuesday announced the second highest profits in its history.
Teeside Rigging & Lifting workers welcomed the “fantastic” gesture from Smith, TeesideLive reported, with one hoping “all companies and agencies will follow suit”.
Smith, who started his firm in 2008, said he’s “not responsible for other companies and how they treat their people” but he hopes it gives others “food for thought”.
“We are living in unprecedented times with costs for everything going through the roof adding to pressure, stress, mental health and everything else for lads and lasses working and trying to make ends meet. Add into that working away and all that additional pressure that brings into play.
“So this is the way we will go forward, I can’t ask my lads and lasses for 100% and just give back 50%. I’m trying to build a business here and I can’t do it without good people.
“So we’re either in it together or we not, hope this may give other companies food for thought because it is possible.”
A big shout out to a local employer Teesside Rigging and Lifting who have awarded their workers a 12% pay rise with an increase in lodging allowance. It’s s pity other GB companies and government couldn’t do it! @BBCTees @BBCNews @SkyNews @AndyMcDonaldMP pic.twitter.com/W0Z3aeY6F5
— Andrew Lonsdale (@AndrewLonsdal16) July 28, 2022
Smith sent out a letter to announce the pay rise to employees, one of whom proudly praised his boss on social media.
The boss has since been inundated with messages of support, but says the gesture wasn’t able getting publicity for his company: “We haven’t done this to say ‘look at us’.”
He explained that the union had asked for a 11.5% rise, which he had met and upped.
“We are doing bigger and better jobs and the reason we are winning those is, we’ve got good people,” Smith explained.
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