he Scottish Living Wage (SLW) will go up by 25p – a 2.8% rise on last year
Thousands of low paid workers in Scotland will get a wage rise to £9 an hour.
The Scottish Living Wage (SLW) will go up by 25p – a 2.8% rise on last year.
This is a considerable advance on the Westminster government-set minimum wage, which guarantees workers £1.17 per hour less.
The SLW, which is voluntary and is administered by the third sector, reflects the rise in the cost of living and is paid by 1,293 employers in Scotland.
Announcing the new rate, First Minister Nicola Sturgeon said: “It’s fantastic to see the rise in the rate of the real Living Wage which will benefit thousands of people and businesses across Scotland.
“Scotland is the best performing country in the UK in terms of paying the real Living Wage and is already ahead of the curve when it comes to championing fairness in the workplace.
“There are now almost 1,300 Living Wage accredited employers in Scotland while our new Fair Work First strategy will make payment of the Living Wage a condition of even more public contracts and government support grants.
“I would encourage businesses and organisations to recognise the benefits of the real Living Wage which is not only helping to ensure people’s basic pay meets the cost of living but is increasing staff retention, productivity and boosting morale in the workplace.”
Peter Kelly, director of the Poverty Alliance, which administers the scheme, said that paying the Living Wage can help loosen the grip of poverty for many workers and their families.
He added: “Our aim is to deliver pay increases to the real Living Wage for more workers in Scotland, and I’m pleased to say that Living Wage Scotland are making real progress on this. Since we launched Living Wage Scotland in 2014, more than 34,000 Scottish workers have now received a pay increase as a result of their employer becoming Living Wage accredited.
“We hope that more employers, particularly those who are in typically low paid sectors, will also consider Living Wage accreditation as being good for workers, good for business and for wider society.”
