Kezia’s plan for 48hr cap on working week could slash pay for thousands
THOUSANDS of workers could suffer a pay cut under Scottish Labour plans to ban people working more than 48 hours a week.
Yesterday Kezia Dugdale unveiled the proposal to cap working hours alongside a raft of other measures which she believes could boost Scotland’s gross domestic product (GDP) by almost £45million.
Miss Dugdale was in Edinburgh where she published her party’s new industrial strategy yesterday with MSPs Jackie Baillie and Richard Leonard.
The document includes proposals such as a real living wage of £10 an hour, a ban on zero hour contracts as well as strengthening the Scottish Investment Bank.
Miss Dugdale claimed capping the working week at 48 hours would ‘benefit’ around 250,000 workers and would particularly help NHS workers such as junior doctors who can work long shifts.
But critics insisted the proposal would see workers missing out on vital overtime shifts and cash, while claiming it could have a detrimental impact on the economy.
Labour insisted a ‘managed reduction of working time’ would have ‘no loss of earnings’.
Scottish Tory economy spokesman Dean Lockhart, said: ‘No-one should be forced to work those kinds of hours if they don’t want to or simply can’t. However, many people – particularly those running their own businesses – do want to, and will be appalled at the idea of Labour trying to tell them what to do.’
The document argues that powers over employment and healthand-safety law repatriated after Brexit, if devolved to Scotland, could be used to reverse the UK opt-out of the EU working time directive that limits the length of the working week to 48 hours.
Labour has urged the UK and Scottish governments to work with business to consider the policy, which it said would boost productivity and benefit NHS staff.
But Colin Borland, head of devolved nations for the Federation of Small Businesses, said: ‘Policies aimed at limiting the number of hours junior doctors work shouldn’t prevent shop workers or bar staff picking up overtime in the run-up to Christmas.’
The document states: ‘Too many people experience long working hours, job monotony, management by stress and over-work.’
After Brexit, it adds, the Scottish Government should ‘consider ending opt-outs’ as this could benefit ‘under pressure NHS staff’ and boost ‘lagging productivity’.
Yesterday Scottish Chamber of Commerce chief executive Liz Cameron said she welcomed some of the policies within Labour’s industrial strategy such as those promoting skills for the future.
But she added: ‘Other parts of the proposals are less welcome, particularly around working hours, the Living Wage and procurement where many businesses needs support, rather than sanctions, to enable growth.’
Scottish Labour’s economy spokesman Miss Baillie said there are opportunities from Brexit.
She said: ‘It gives us an opportunity to look at how we would use those powers in a Scottish context. There is something like 250,000 workers in Scotland work more than 48 hours a week, so there is a real opportunity there.’