Charity calls for action over news that more than 300,000 Scots earn poverty pay

ThePoverty Alliance has called for an end to poverty wages following a report published by the Living Wage Commission.

It found that 372,000 people in Scotland, the equivalent of 17% of the workforce, earn below the living wage.

The report published follows a year-long study by the Living Wage Commission.

The Living Wage in Scotland is set at £7.65 an hour, over £1 an hour more than the National Minimum Wage, which is currently £6.31.

There are currently 23 accredited Living Wage Employers in Scotland, and the Poverty Alliance has recently launched the Scottish Living Wage Accreditation Initiative to encourage more employers to pay the Living Wage and be accredited as doing so.

People deserve to be properly remunerated for their work; no one should work for their poverty

Peter Kelly, director of the Poverty Alliance, said: “The Poverty Alliance has been involved in the Scottish Living Wage campaign since 2007.

“Recent years have seen a dramatic rise in the number of people in in-work poverty and the Living Wage is an important tool in the fight against this.

“Ninety-three per cent of those who are not paid the Living Wage are in the private sector, 64% are women and 40% are women who work part time.

“The Scottish Living Wage Accreditation Initiative is working with employers in the private sector to increase the number of people receiving the Living Wage.

“Alongside this, the Scottish Living Wage campaign will be targeting low pay sectors particularly those which are often female dominated.

“The report recommends that all directly employed public sector employees are paid the Living Wage and it is pleasing to see the Scottish Government leading the way on this.

“Payment of the Living Wage has advantages for employees, employers and society.

“People deserve to be properly remunerated for their work; no one should work for their poverty."