04/11 – As part of the annual ‘Living Wage Week’, the Scottish Living Wage Campaign and the Living Wage Foundation has announced the new living wage figure will be £7.65 an hour for the coming year, an increase of 20p. More than 400 companies and organisations across the UK are now officially accredited Living Wage Employers. Living Wage Week will highlight the benefits that the living wage brings for both companies and employees.
A range of activities will take place as part of Living Wage Week in Scotland, including a roundtable discussion with employers, a training event hosted by NUS Scotland, and a lobby of the Scottish Parliament on the living wage and procurement. Activities will be taking place across the UK to highlight the importance of the living wage in addressing the problems of low pay and in-work poverty.
The new figure for the living wage has been calculated by researchers at Loughborough University and will apply to all companies and organisations that wish to become living wage employers in the UK. A separate figure will apply in London.
Scottish Government Finance Secretary John Swinney MSP said:
“This Government fully supports the Living Wage Week campaign and the principles of a living wage, which can make a real difference to people’s lives.
“We are firmly of the view that employers should reward their staff fairly, which is why all public sector staff under our direct control receive at least the Scottish Living Wage rate and will do for the duration of this parliament.
“It is good news that more than 400 companies and organisations across the UK are now officially accredited Living Wage Employers and by supporting the accreditation project, we are encouraging all public, private and third sector organisations in Scotland to do likewise.”
Peter Kelly, Director of the Poverty Alliance and chair of the Scottish Living Wage Campaign, said:
“Awareness about the impact of low pay on the lives of thousands of workers has been growing over the last year. The living wage is an effective way of tackling this problem head on. We are pleased that a growing number of employers now see that paying the living wage is not only the right thing for their employers, but is also good for their company.
“More employers in Scotland need to pay the living wage, and be recognised for doing so. We are pleased that the Scottish Government is helping spread the living wage message by supporting a living wage accreditation project. This initiative will help build momentum behind the living wage and show that there is still much that we can do to address in-work poverty, even in touch times.”
Rhys Moore, Director of the Living Wage Foundation, added:
“Scotland is making huge progress on the Living Wage. More and more employers are seeing the benefits of doing the right thing, and paying that bit more than the National Minimum. Those extra pounds in the pay packet make a big difference to workers who can afford to provide for their families without going into debt. We’re looking for more employers to take a lead and proudly display the Living Wage Employer badge. ”
ENDS
See this PR on The Poverty Alliance (Scottish member of EAPN UK) website : New Living Wage Figure Announced For Scotland
