| The Scottish Living Wage Campaign |
LATEST NEWS
The Scottish Living Wage Campaign has launched a new dedicated website. This contains all the latest information on what is happening nationally and locally with the campaign, makes the arguments for the living wage and gives cases studies on the reality of low pay. To visit the new website click here
The Scottish Green Party has initiated a debate in the Scottish Parliament calling for action around a living wage. The motion states: That the Parliament recognises that unacceptable levels of poverty and income inequality continue to blight Scotland; notes that the income of the richest 10% of people in Scotland is approximately the same as the total income of the poorest 50%; further notes that, among working-age adults, in-work poverty is still on the increase; believes that a more equal society would be a happier, healthier, safer and greener society and that this must become a core objective of government at all levels, and therefore calls on the UK Government to commit to the immediate introduction of a living wage for all, set at £7 per hour, and on Scottish ministers to bring in this living wage for all public sector workers and employees of public sector contractors and for this change to be funded by tackling high pay in the public sector and by fairer taxation on both high pay and financial transactions.
The Poverty Alliance has produced a briefing for the debate. To view the briefing click here (added 29.04.10)
Scottish Enterprise (SE) have become the latest employers to recieve an award from the Scottish Living Wage Campaign. Scottish Enterprise is the agency responsible for the development of business in Scotland. A 'Stage 1 Scottish Living Wage Employer Award' was made to SE on 19 March 2010 as a result of a deal negotiated with the PCS trade union, which ensures that all directly employed staff at SE are paid above £7 an hour. This latest award sends out a strong message to businesses in Scotland that paying a decent wage to all employees is possible, despite the recession. To view the press release click here
The Living Wage Employer Award was launched in the East End of Glasgow at the Dalmarnock Community Centre. The first award was given to Glasgow City Council, who have announced that they will pay a living wage of £7 an hour to all employees.
A short film highlighting what a living wage would mean to people in the East End of Glasgow was shown at the launch of the Award. See below to view the film.
The campaign has also released a new background briefing paper and Frequently Asked Questions paper to help explain the aims of the campaign.
Click here to read the latest press release from the campaign. Some press coverage can be found below:
- Activists Learn from London in Living Wage Fight (The Herald, 21 April 2009)
- Campaigners in Call for £7 'Living Wage' (Evening Times, 6 May 2009)
- The ‘best people’ are those at the bottom earning buttons (The Herald, 7 May 2009)
The Case for a Scottish Living Wage Campaign
Low pay remains a very real problem for hundreds of thousands of workers across Scotland. In response to the problem of low pay, a number of living wage campaigns have developed across the UK. Rather than demanding further legislative change, these campaigns have brought demands for a ‘living wage’ directly to employers (both in the public and private sector).
These campaigns have won real changes, particularly in London, and have drawn strength from the involvement of grassroots anti-poverty activists, trade unionists, faith based groups, voluntary organisations, migrants groups, students and low paid workers. The campaign in Scotland will build on the same diverse groups to build the case for a decent living wage for all workers.
Getting Involved
To be successful we need a campaign that is large, active and diverse. It should include community groups, trade unionists, faith groups, and voluntary organisations – anyone that wants to play an active part in a campaign for social and economic justice. Membership of the campaign will be open to any organisation that supports the principle and level of the living wage that is agreed. The Poverty Alliance is providing administrative and logistical support to the campaign.
A campaign group meets regularly to plan activities. This group is responsible for the overall direction of the campaign and would meet on a regular basis. Whilst the campaign will be Scotland wide, it depends on successful local activity to be sustainable. It will be necessary to find ways to ensure that campaign supporters are able to take effective action at the local level to pursue the overall campaign objectives.
To find out more about the campaign please contact: Eddie Follan at the Poverty Alliance.