MSP for South Scotland Aileen McLeod has today (Monday) welcomed the announcement of an increase in the Living Wage – and urged more local businesses to mark Living Wage Week 2015 by signing up as accredited Living Wage employers.
As announced today, the Living Wage rate – calculated independently by the Living Wage Foundation in partnership with the Poverty Alliance – will increase by 40p to £8.25 per hour.
Already, 370 firms in Scotland have become accredited Living Wage employers – and Aileen has highlighted the benefits to businesses as well as staff in urging more local employers to sign up.
Living Wage Week kicks off.
The benefits of better pay for staff have been highlighted at the start of Living Wage Week 2015.
Cabinet Secretary for Fair Work, Skills and Training Roseanna Cunningham has cited research that highlights better staff morale, improved productivity and reduced absence rates as key benefits for employers that pay the Living Wage.
With 81 per cent of Scots employees now receiving at least the Living Wage – the highest rate in the UK – the Living Wage Foundation will announce an increase to the Living Wage from £7.85 early next week.
Ms Cunningham said:
“This promises to be the most high profile Living Wage Week to date and I am very pleased to be getting involved, alongside a number of other ministers, over the course of the week.
“Paying the Living Wage is good for business, good for the individual and good for society. Research into the Living Wage published earlier this year highlighted considerable positive benefits for employers that choose to offer a higher pay rate.
“While we have made considerable progress in the last year, we will continue to encourage employers across the public, private and third sectors to pay the Living Wage, which is aimed at reducing low pay and ensuring nobody misses out.
“Living Wage Week marks an excellent opportunity to draw attention to the value that the Living Wage could bring to employers, and help encourage them to consider paying it. Furthermore, we will take every opportunity to highlight the differences between the Living Wage and what the UK government announced earlier this year.
“The Chancellor’s so called ‘national living wage’ is nothing of the sort. It’s lower than the actual Living Wage, which is worked out based on need. Ahead of the setting of a new rate this coming week I am calling on more employers to embrace the concept of fair work and better pay.”
Aileen said
“Everyone has the right to expect a fair day’s pay for a fair day’s work – and so I am delighted to see today’s increase in the Living Wage, which will provide a much-needed boost to the paypackets of many hard-working people in Dumfries & Galloway who already receive the Living Wage.
“Paying the Living Wage isn’t just good for staff, it’s also good for business, with improved productivity, better staff morale and lower absence rates – and the Scottish Government has made excellent progress in promoting fair pay, with 81 per cent of workers in Scotland now receiving at least the Living Wage.
“But there is more work to be done to ensure fair pay for those not yet receiving it – and I’m encouraging all employers in Dumfries & Galloway to consider the benefits of signing up to the Living Wage for their business.
“The Living Wage is good for workers, good for business and good for Scotland as a whole – and I hope that more employers in Dumfries & Galloway will mark Living Wage week by becoming accredited Living Wage employers and joining the growing numbers of businesses paying their staff a fair wage.”
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