Rowlinson Knitwear becomes one of the first members of the Greater Manchester Good Employment Charter

Rowlinson Knitwear has become one of the first six organisations in Greater Manchester to sign up as a member of the UK’s most comprehensive Good Employment Charter aimed at improving wages and employment standards.

Rowlinson has pledged to pay all staff the real living wage, offer flexible working and provide security of work as full Members of the Good Employment Charter, a voluntary scheme designed to help deliver good jobs with opportunities for people to progress and develop.

The Charter’s Membership tier was launched on Wednesday, January 29 by the Mayor of Greater Manchester Andy Burnham; Deputy Mayor of Greater Manchester and Leader of Manchester City Council Sir Richard Leese; and Cllr Sean Fielding, Greater Manchester Combined Authority (GMCA) Lead for Work and Skills and Leader of Oldham Council.

Employee-owned Rowlinson worked closely with the Charter since its launch in 2019, and was chosen for its excellent practices and commitment to continually improving its employment standards. Additionally, the company is representative of the diverse range of employers across Greater Manchester that the Charter is looking to engage with and support.

Nicola Ryan, director of colleague support at Rowlinson, said: “We’re really proud to be one of the first members of the Good Employment Charter as we’re incredibly passionate about everything it stands for. We’ve long worked to the principle that our commercial success is a result of putting people before profit. In return, we want to be able to offer our colleagues the opportunity to fulfil their potential in a supportive, flexible and caring workplace; this is exactly what this Charter sets out to achieve.

“Being members of the Charter gives us the opportunity to demonstrate a solid commitment to our colleagues, to continuously strive for improvement in our culture and people practices, and to share knowledge and best practice with other companies who are committed to being good employers.”

Mayor of Greater Manchester, Andy Burnham, added: “The Greater Manchester Good Employment Charter is about supporting our employers, helping them to grow and invest in our places, with new and existing jobs right across our city-region that are underpinned by a commitment to equality, a real living wage and a positive and productive working environment. The evidence suggests that this is a win-win for everyone, with workplaces more productive when employees are happier. I’m delighted to see so many employers stepping forward to share best practice and improve standards – and would encourage others from across Greater Manchester to get involved.”

Businesses can also sign up to the Charter’s Supporters’ Network, launched in July 2019, which asks employers to commit to improve practice and helps them to access appropriate support, resources and sharing good practice.