The Westminster government has announced a renewed focus on brain cancer research, in honour of Tessa Jowell, who died at the weekend. Continue reading Government doubles investment in brain cancer research with £40 million ‘Tessa Jowell Brain Cancer Research Mission’
The Ship on the Shore, the renowned seafood restaurant in Leith, has completed the redevelopment of a new bar area after receiving £550,000 funding from Santander Business Banking. Continue reading The Ship on the Shore completes redevelopment
Dear Editor,
Six weeks on from the 33p rise to the National Minimum Wage implemented on Sunday 1st April 2018 (now £7.83 for those aged 25 and over), workers in Scotland and throughout the rest of the UK continue to suffer from the disparity between wage increases and the rate of inflation.
Less than a year ago, the Low Pay Commission suggested that nearly two million jobs in the UK are currently ‘paid at or below the National Minimum Wage’, and predicting that ‘this is likely to rise to 3.4 million by 2020’.
The UK Government’s Department for Business, Energy & Industrial Strategy recently exposed 179 companies that had underpaid many of their workers, including many with outlets in Edinburgh such as Wagamama, Thursday (UK) who trade as TGI Friday’s, and Cost Effective Catering Limited.
Amidst ever increasingly precarious short-term and low-wage employment, and with the Office for National Statistics revealing that almost 1.8 million throughout the UK are on zero hour contracts, the situation is only going to become worse for millions of working people and their dependents.
Zero-hour, part-time, sessional, and relief worker contracts mask the reality of unemployment and underemployment. In 2017, Cardiff University found that more than 60% of households living in poverty already had at least one working member.
With the National Minimum Wage now set at £7.38 for those aged 21-24, £5.90 for 18-20, £4.20 for under 18s, and a mere £3.70 for apprentices, workers movements, trade unions, and activists throughout the UK must pressure employers to both pay a livable wage to their employees and to guarantee work to those trapped in zero-hour contracts.
In this light, we should recognise the fantastic achievement of Richie Vention who, following his election to the National Executive Council of the Union of Shop, Distributive and Allied Workers (USDAW) – the fourth biggest union in the UK – led a unanimously passed vote for a minimum 16 hour contract for all workers, save for when an employee wishes to negotiate for fewer hours.
In addition, the Scottish Socialist Party are to praised for their efforts four times a week with their Princes Street stalls calling for £10 an hour now for all workers aged 16 and over. This activism has ensured that workers in central Edinburgh never lose sight of the realities of poverty pay, and in fact the UK Labour Party has now also adopted the policy!
Given their recent efforts to highlight pay issues at the Princes Street Apple Store and as one of the only organisations to have responded to the poultry increase of thirty pence to National Minimum Wage, the consistency of the membership’s efforts are to be heralded.
This week, Three UK customers received a text or email alert notifying them of a 4% increase. When workers in the third sector and beyond face pay freezes, 1% cost of living awards, or minuscule pay rises for meeting core competencies, despite going over and above their duties on a daily basis – including regularly being forced to write service user contact notes at home due to a lack of work time – the current trajectory is unsustainable.
Luke Campbell, West Pilton
@chainuptheswing (Twitter)
A major new initiative, to help small and medium enterprises (SMEs) in Edinburgh identify and capitalise on circular economy opportunities, has been launched. Circular Edinburgh is a joint initiative delivered by Zero Waste Scotland and Edinburgh Chamber of Commerce.
The capital is one of four Scottish regions selected in 2018 to receive free support and project funding for local businesses. The Chambers will deliver a range of local activities to help identify opportunities for local business, and direct them towards available support and funding. The initiative is backed by the Scottish Government and European Regional Development Fund (ERDF).
A circular economy is one in which we eradicate waste by keeping resources and products in use for as long as possible. It offers opportunities to Scottish business to develop new products and services which promote repeated use, not single-use – for example: leasing, repair, or take-back services, or designing new products from another industry’s ‘waste’ through effective collaboration.
Iain Gulland, Chief Executive, Zero Waste Scotland, said: “I’m delighted today to announce Zero Waste Scotland is joining forces with Edinburgh Chamber of Commerce to launch Circular Edinburgh, an ambitious initiative to unlock the potential for SMEs in the region, by thinking innovatively about business models.
“Circular Edinburgh is a terrific opportunity to help local businesses in making the transition to a circular economy, that has the potential to create jobs, support sustainable business models and help the environment and the economy. Across Scotland, a circular economy could generate £3 billion of annual benefits.
“Scotland is at the cutting edge of developing a more circular economy, and was recently chosen to host the Circular Economy Hotspot Scotland, a major international trade mission, taking place later this year. Businesses are already capitalising on the vast benefits of being circular and, through new business models, are finding untapped opportunities for innovation and increased profitability, whilst addressing the issue of resource pressures.”
Liz McAreavey, Chief Executive, Edinburgh Chamber of Commerce, said: “The Circular Economy will provide business with tremendous opportunities, in creating efficiencies, reducing waste, and in creating new products, services, wealth and jobs.
“The Chamber is delighted to be working with Zero Waste Scotland on a project to engage the Capital’s business community with these opportunities, and making a big contribution to future growth and sustainability.”
Circular Edinburgh complements Zero Waste Scotland’s nationwide support for SMEs to develop circular economy business ideas, including its £18million Circular Economy Investment Fund and Circular Economy Business Support Service.
The initiative is part of the Resource Efficient Circular Economy Accelerator Programme, which will invest £27million in Scotland in circular economy projects until December 2019, thanks to support from the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF).
Zero Waste Scotland leads on delivery of the £73million Resource Efficient Circular Economy Accelerator Programme, which aims to improve the economic performance of SMEs while at the same time reducing the impact of economic activity on the natural environment, supporting Scottish Government and EU policies.
For more information about Circular Edinburgh, please visit www.edinburghchamber.co.uk/circular-economy
Mountains of handmade chocolate, energetic music performances and countless palettes of face paint helped Edinburgh College celebrate its first Granton Community Day. Continue reading Hundreds attend Edinburgh College Granton Community Day
Centipede is sad to announce the dismantling of our first large-scale piece of landscape art in Muirhouse; MUIRHOUSE IS HOME, created in 2013 using 3 000 dwarf daffodils. Continue reading Tuesday is Daffodil Uplift Day in Muirhouse Avenue
Thank you to those of you who took the time to fill out our Edinburgh Shoreline survey, such closed on 30th April. You all contributed excellent ideas that show how much commitment there is to celebrating our amazing Edinburgh coastline (writes Charlotte Johnson). Continue reading Shoreline Project update
Further consultation promised
The city council’s Development Management Sub Committee will meet next month to consider two planning applications for the Meadowbank Stadium site. Continue reading Meadowbank redevelopment: first planning date set
“I know the vast majority of supporters behave responsibly but I’m asking everyone to think carefully about how they behave on Sunday”.
Police in Edinburgh are advising fans attending tomorrow’s Hibernian v Rangers match at Easter Road to enjoy the final fixture of the football season for both clubs but behave responsibly. Continue reading Fans warned to behave ahead of Hibs Rangers clash
Leith residents are being invited to become ‘flyspotters’ as part of a new campaign to reduce the dumping of rubbish on local streets led by environmental charity Changeworks. Continue reading ‘Flyspotting’ campaign launched in Leith
