I recently urged the Scottish Government to conduct an urgent review of sub-contracted jobs in the public sector in order to combat the “Low Pay Loophole”.
Currently, people directly employed by Scottish Government departments are paid the living wage, however jobs indirectly employed by the Scottish Government on sub-contracts, such as cleaning, catering and retail, are offered no such protection due to the SNP refusing to back Labour calls for a living wage in public contracts.
The Living Wage would boost the earnings of a minimum wage worker by over £2,000 a year. It will make positive, practical difference to hard working people in Central Scotland and up and down the country.
But it is also about building a moral economy. Supporting the living wage in the public sector, whilst jobs in its departments are being sub-contracted out simply isn’t good enough. Especially as these jobs are the very ones that would most benefit from the living wage.
I know from my regular advice surgeries, correspondence, and conversations on the doorstep and across Central Scotland that people want better, fairer wages.
I have written to the Scottish Government demanding an urgent review of sub-contracted jobs in the public sector. We have to know how widespread and open to abuse this problem is, we need to stand up for people in Central Scotland and across the country who deserve a fair day’s pay for a hard day’s work, and we need to close this low pay loophole.
Siobhan McMahon for Central Scotland 