Superstore staff to get wage rise
The following planning applications were validated by Perth and Kinross Council during the week ending April
25:
Erection of a replacement dwellinghouse, garage with ancillary accommodation, garden building, installation of replacement gates and railings, air source heat pump, formation of landscaping and associated works at Birchfield, Caledonian Crescent, Gleneagles for HFD Construction Group Ltd;
Change of use of pavement to form extension to outdoor seating area and associated works (in retrospect) at 51 High Street, Perth for Willows;
Change of use and alterations to former bank (class two) to form hot food takeaway and installation of replacement flue at The Royal Bank of Scotland, Drummond Street, Comrie for Arif Minhas;
Formation of hydrogen production facility comprising siting of hydrogen production units, hydrogen storage units, erection of office/welfare building, substation building, alterations to access track, formation of roads, parking and associated works at land 60 metres north east of Greenacres, Braco for Zephyrus Green Energy Ltd;
Alterations and extension to dwellinghouse at The Knowes, Bridge of Earn Road, Dunning for Mr M Henderson;
Listed building consent for alterations and extension at The Knowes, Bridge of Earn Road, Dunning for Mr M Henderson;
Extension to dwellinghouse at 2 Raeburn Park, Perth for Naiyla Parveen;
Extension to dwellinghouse at Chance Inn House, Kinross for Mr and Mrs Davis;
Erection of a dwellinghouse at land 25 metres north west of Grieves Cottage, Henhill Farm, Forteviot for Colin McGregor;
Alterations to industrial unit at land 60 metres south east of HGV Test
Station, Arran Road, Perth for Northern Trust;
Part change of use to flat for holiday accommodation use at 4B King Edward Street, Perth for Philippa Finch;
Siting of a sales cabin and associated works (for a temporary period) at land 30 metres south west of Taybank Cottage, Perth Road, Stanley for Muir Homes Ltd;
Alterations and extension to dwellinghouse at 5 Rowanbank, Scone for Andrew Pitkeathly;
Alterations to boundary wall and installation of gate at Knockando, 34 Drummond Terrace, Crieff for Bernard C Fisher;
Alterations and extensions to dwellinghouse at Newfoundlands, Meikleour for Nikki Gillies;
Extension to dwellinghouse at Benvorlich, 3 Netherlea, Scone for Linda Babb;
Alterations and extension to dwellinghouse, formation of balcony with raised decking area, steps and associated works at 24 Whitecraigs, Kinnesswood for Mr and Mrs Dalgety;
Change of use from hotel to dwellinghouse at East Haugh House Hotel, East Haugh, Pitlochry for Murray Thompson Limited Partnership.
Details of all planning applications can be viewed online at www.pkc.gov.uk
Retail staff in Perth’s Asda supermarket on Dunkeld Road can look forward to better pay after recent negotiations secured a rise - meaning the £10-per-hour basic rate threshold has been passed.
Asda will increase the basic rate of pay for retail staff from £9.66 an hour to £10.10 an hour from this July.
Yesterday the union GMB Scotland, which has campaigned for better conditions in light of the cost of living crisis, welcomed the pay increase for Asda retail staff which will affect thousands of staff working in Scottish stores.
A recent cost of living survey by GMB of 800 Asda staff painted a terrible picture of low-paid employees facing rising prices and a below-inflation wage rise.
Workers at the stores told how with their stretched income, they were suffering.
Asda, the UK’s third-biggest retailer, was bought from US firm Walmart in 2020 by billionaire brothers Zuber and Moshin Issa, from Blackburn, for £6.8billion.
The supermarket’s profits in 2020 were £368million, according to its latest accounts.
More than half said they were borrowing money from friends and family to get by.
About five per cent admitted to taking time off because they couldn’t afford to travel to work and another seven per cent said they had used food banks.
Almost all (760) said they didn’t feel valued as a key worker by the firm.
GMB Scotland organiser Robert Deavy said: “It’s never too late to do the right thing, so the fact that Asda bosses have listened to our members concerns and increased the basic rate of pay for retail staff is a win for workers.
“Breaking through the £10 an hour threshold is an important moment for thousands of Asda retail staff in Scotland, but this must be the start of a process that makes work better in this supermarket giant.
“If Asda genuinely wants to help its staff confront the cost-of-living crisis then they must also settle their equal pay liabilities owed to tens of thousands of women workers in retail and agree to proper collective bargaining on the future of our members pay and conditions.”
Edinburgh International Children’s Festival (May 7-15):