HUNDREDS of lower paid council workers across Teesside are likely to receive a substantial pay rise this April.

The 450 lowest-paid council workers at Redcar and Cleveland Borough Council have already been told they will be paid the calculated Living Wage rate of £7.85 which compares to the legal minimum wage of just £6.50.

Now Middlesbrough council has announced it is likely to pay 900 lower paid staff, including cleaners and kitchen and classroom assistants at the higher, Living Wage £7.85 rate, up from £7.06 an hour, subject to final approval.

Unison union representatives are hopeful Hartlepool Borough Council, already paying £7.26 an hour, will also adopt the Living Wage from April but no decision has been made.

Stockton Borough Council has previously agreed a pay grade for the lowest paid workers ranging from £7.19 an hour to £7.43 starting from January 1 this year which affects 350 workers and cost the council about £190,000 per year.

Redcar and Cleveland Council already gives 370 lower paid workers a supplement to minimum wage and the new £7.85 rate will also benefit a further 80 workers and will cost the council an extra £220,000 a year.

The Living Wage rate is calculated annually by the Centre for Research in Social Policy for the Living Wage Foundation as a recommendation and is used to apply pressure to increase wages.

No councils in the North-East agreed to pay at the full Living Wage rate last year although various NHS trusts and bodies are currently paying at the higher rate.

Unison regional organiser, Mark Clifford, welcomed the news from both Middlesbrough and Redcar and Cleveland councils and said it was hoped more councils would agree to start paying workers more money from April as local authorities make their annual budgets.

He said: "It's a step in the right direction, but there's a long way to go."

Middlesbrough council's executive will discuss the pay rise on Tuesday, January 20, and the matter is being tabled by Deputy Mayor and Executive Member for Finance and Governance, Councillor Dave Budd.

Introducing the policy is expected to cost Middlesbrough council £606,000 per annum when fully implemented.

Cllr Budd said: “Quite simply this is the right thing to do and we hope it sets an example for other employers in the town to follow.

"The wider benefit to society is that the Living Wage enables people to earn a reasonable amount and therefore if it becomes the norm for employers to pay it we will see a reduction in cost to the tax payer to top up people’s wages through benefits.”