Council wages to increase

Perth and Kinross Council’s lowest paid employees are to be given a wage rise.

Last week councillors unanimously approved a special motion – tabled by the local authority’s Labour members – to introduce the Real Living Wage increase early.

Councillors also agreed an amendment, brought forward by Liberal Democrat councillor Peter Barrett, which in future could see employees benefit from the rise in time for Christmas.

Tabling the motion – as councillors met for the last time in 2023 on Wednesday, December 22 – Labour councillor Brian Leishman said it would be a“small but meaningful gesture”for the council to make as the cost of living crisis takes hold.

The Living Wage Foundation announced an increase in the Real Living Wage in September to £10.90 per hour.

As an accredited Living Wage Employer PKC would ordinarily pass on the new rate from April 1, 2023, when it comes into effect.

Cllr Leishman and Labour colleague Alasdair Bailey asked fellow elected members to agree to introduce the new rate earlier and backdate it from October 1, 2022.

Perth City Centre elected member Cllr Barrett – having voted previously for similar motions backdating the Real Living Wage – put forward an amendment to improve the process so as employees can benefit from it before Christmas.

He said:“Their welfare would be enhanced by not going through a clumsy pre-Christmas ritual which means that the money doesn’t reach our staff until after Christmas and has to be backdated.

“I appreciate that there is a wariness over taking a formal policy position that the council should implement the updated Real Living Wage in say, November or December of each year, due to concerns about erosion of differentials at the bottom of the payscale. But there has to be a better way of dealing with this than we currently follow.”

Cllr Barrett went on to call for a “more proactive position”with a report either brought to an earlier meeting of the full council or the finance and resources committee “with a recommendation on whether to update the Real Living Wage effective from December 1 and in time for employees’December pay packets, or provide the financial or technical reasons why it would be inappropriate to do so”.

This was unanimously agreed and this year the council’s lowest paid employees will have their pay backdated from October 1 with the increase.