WORKING FOR YOU Why everyone should be promoting the Living Wage

Last week was Living Wage Week which kick-started with the announcement of the new hourly rate of £9 per hour for all employees.

It is an important celebration, encouraging employers to pay a wage suitable for modern life, and celebrates those who already do.

It is imperative for an employer to pay the real living wage as it leaves employees feeling valued for their efforts in the workplace, and provides a payment that is accommodating to what employees and their families, realistically, require to live.

This week is highly significant as many people living in poverty, or who are struggling financially, are actually in employment.

In fact, a 2016 study by Cardiff University showed that 60 per cent of Britons in poverty are actually working families.

The living wage is calculated with a variety of factors crucial to modern lifestyle taken into account, and aims to better the personal wellbeing of employees, which will help tackle poverty at the same time as boosting morale mo and increasing productivity in a company. The fact is that the majority of tax cr credits are paid to working people an and that has to stop. As the Tories continue their rollout ou of Universal Credit, despite all of the evidence showing it plunges people deeper into poverty, it’s important m that people who are working are being paid a fair wage for o what they’re doing – regardless o of their age. The National Living Wage ( (NLW) heralded by the Tories is to too low and still discriminates agai against people based on their age. A 16-year-old on NLW will be paid almost £4 an hour less than someone aged 25 and doing exactly the same job. This is a scandal that should be stopped immediately. That’s why the Real Living Wage should be the benchmark for all employers. Earlier this month, I was lucky enough to visit Clarke Fire Protection Ltd, an accredited living wage employer in my constituency, to celebrate Living Wage Week and discuss the importance and positive impact of providing workers with a real living wage.

I was also fortunate enough to receive a tour of the company building to learn about the important work they do.

Clarke Fire Protection Ltd is one of the eleven accredited employers in the Coatbridge and Chryston constituency. Other notable mentions include GMD community services Ltd, Scottish Water and Diack & Macaulay Ltd who, alongside the other employers, I would like to congratulate on their efforts to provide employees with a dignified wage for their work.

Since 2017, living wage employers in Scotland have risen by 30 per cent, a positive step forward that these employers in the community have contributed towards.

However, more employers should be striving towards the goal of providing the living wage and, if they already are, to ensure they apply for the accreditation to be recognised for their efforts and to wear the badge with pride.

As an MSP, it is important to me, personally, to be an ethical employer and provide the real living wage to the people who work alongside me.

I would strongly encourage other companies to follow in the footsteps of the 1293 companies in Scotland who pay the living wage and provide their employees with appropriate reward for their contributions.

So, with this in mind, the question remains – how many businesses will stand for, and provide a pay beneficial to, the long-term advancement of their company, employees and, most importantly, the community?

…will help tackle poverty at the same time as boosting morale and increasing productivity in a company