Building a Sustainable Future from the Ground Up: One Year as a Real Living Wage Foundation Employer

At SEKO Logistics UK, we believe that true industry leadership goes beyond optimizing global supply chains, reducing transit times, and delivering high-value logistics solutions. It is built on how we treat the people who make it all possible.

One year ago, SEKO Logistics UK officially achieved accreditation as an accredited Living Wage Employer by the Living Wage Foundation (see announcement below).

By voluntarily stepping up to pay all directly employed staff and third-party contracted workers a rate based on the actual cost of living, we took a firm stance: a hard day's work deserves a fair day's pay.

Reflecting on the past year, this milestone was not just a one-off corporate announcement. It represents a core pillar of SEKO's ongoing ESG (Environmental, Social, and Governance) journey, demonstrating why ethical employment standards are vital for creating a great place to work and why the wider transport and logistics sector must follow suit.

What Being a Living Wage Employer Actually Means

Unlike the statutory National Minimum Wage or National Living Wage set by the UK government, the Real Living Wage is independently calculated annually by the Living Wage Foundation. It reflects what people actually need to cover life's essential costs-housing, food, energy, transport, and basic family needs.

For our team, receiving a Real Living Wage is transformative:

• Financial Resilience: It provides essential stability during turbulent economic times, helping employees manage rising living costs without sacrificing their well-being.
• Dignity and Equity: It removes the stress of living pay check to pay check, demonstrating that every role within our warehouses, fulfilment hubs, and transport network is genuinely valued.
• Inclusive Inclusion: The Real Living Wage accreditation extends beyond full-time, direct employees to include third-party contracted staff and temporary workers, ensuring no one in our facilities is left behind.

The Broader Impact: Why Supply Chain & Transportation Companies Must Follow Suit

The transportation, freight forwarding, and logistics sector has historically faced high labour turnover, industry-wide skills shortages, and tight operational margins. For too long, compensation in logistics has been viewed purely as a cost to minimize rather than an investment in human capital.

A Core Pillar of SEKO Logistics UK's ESG Journey

Our Real Living Wage accreditation works in harmony with our broader corporate sustainability and social responsibility commitments.

Over the past several years, SEKO Logistics UK&I has embedded Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) principles into everyday business operations:

• EcoVadis Improved Accreditation: SEKO UK achieved an improved EcoVadis rating in 2026 reaching 80/100.
• Decarbonization & Sustainable Transport: SEKO actively minimizes supply chain environmental impact through a variety of initiatives and as a member of the UNGC communicates openly on progress.
• Supplier Code of Conduct: SEKO actively engages with partners, subcontractors, and vendors to ensure they adhere to identical standards of fair treatment, worker safety, and ethical pay.

"At SEKO, our people are the foundation of our success. Becoming a Living Wage Employer was not just the right thing to do - it's central to how we define employment in the logistics industry. This accreditation is a commitment to our teams, our partners, and our clients that we stand for fairness and integrity in our employment practices."

- Paul Lockwood, Managing Director at SEKO Logistics UK

Shaping the Future of Ethical Logistics

One year on, our commitment to being a Living Wage Foundation employer remains steadfast. We are proud of the positive change this policy has brought to our workforce, our workplace culture, and our business resilience.

However, true industry progress cannot happen in isolation.

We invite our peers, logistics operators, subcontractors, and sector partners across the UK transport network to join the Living Wage movement. Together, we can elevate standards, build sustainable careers in supply chain management, and prove that ethical business practices drive long-term commercial success.

October 21st 2025, SEKO announces becoming a Living Wage Foundation employer.

SEKO Logistics UK Achieves Living Wage Employer Accreditation

Setting the Standard in Ethical Employment in the transport and logistics industry

SEKO Logistics UK is proud to announce its official accreditation as a Living Wage Employer, reaffirming its commitment to fair pay, ethical business practices, and responsible corporate citizenship.

This accreditation recognises SEKO Logistics UK as a business that pays all employees that meets the real cost of living, not just the UK government minimum amount. By voluntarily adopting the Living Wage, SEKO UK joins a growing movement of responsible employers who believe that a hard day's work deserves a fair day's pay.

What does it mean to be a Living Wage Employer?

The Living Wage, calculated annually by the Living Wage Foundation, is the only UK wage rate based on the cost of living. Unlike the National Minimum Wage or the National Living Wage, the Living Wage is independently calculated to reflect the real costs of housing, food, transport, and essential bills.

By becoming a certified Living Wage Employer, SEKO Logistics UK ensures that every directly employed member of staff, as well as third-party contracted workers, receives a wage that supports a decent standard of living.

Leading by Example Across the Logistics Industry

"At SEKO, our people are the foundation of our success. Becoming a Living Wage Employer was not just the right thing to do - it's central to how we define employment in the logistics industry," said Paul Lockwood, Managing Director at SEKO Logistics UK. "This accreditation is a commitment to our teams, our partners, and our clients that we stand for fairness and integrity in our employment practices."

SEKO's decision to champion the Living Wage certification reflects its broader vision for ethical and sustainable business practices across the supply chain including its recent EcoVadis gold certification placing SEKO Logistics UK in the top 5% of companies globally and top 1% of logistics businesses.

As a company that works with an extensive network of operators and service providers, SEKO UK is taking a clear stance: all companies engaging with the company are expected to reflect the same ethical employment standards, also clearly outlined in SEKO's Supplier Code of Conduct.

Raising the Bar for Supply Chain Ethics

By implementing Living Wage standards across its operations including temporary workers, SEKO Logistics UK is helping to set a benchmark in the industry. The company has also engaged in active dialogue with suppliers, subcontractors, and partners to ensure alignment with Living Wage principles and broader ethical employment measures.

A Call to Action for Logistics Companies

SEKO Logistics UK is inviting its peers, clients, and partners to join the Living Wage movement and help drive systemic change within the logistics and transport sector.

For more information about SEKO Logistics in the United Kingdom, reach out to the team