Day: April 29, 2025

Scottish Parliamentarians visit Mayfield and Easthouses

The Presiding Officer visited Mayfield and Easthouses in Lothian yesterday to meet local people to talk about their Scottish Parliament.

The Lothian visit is the last in a series of eight events across Scotland to mark the Scottish Parliament’s 25th anniversary.

The aim of event is to hear people’s reflections on the Parliament and to understand more about what they want from their Parliament in the future. It was also an opportunity to reflect on 25 years of devolution and the impact of the Parliament on local communities.

Yesterday’s event began with a visit to the Mayfield and Easthouses Development Trust. The Presiding Officer, joined by constituency and regional MSPs from the Lothian Region, met with service users, volunteers and staff in their pavilion and café in Mayfield Public Park before visiting their Hub and Pantry.

Following this there was an event at Mayfield and Easthouses Church Hall where the politicians met representatives from local groups and projects.

The visit ended in Mayfield Community Club where Nourish Scotland hosted a public diner lunch.

Speaking ahead of the visit, Presiding Officer, the Rt Hon Alison Johnstone MSP said: “I’m looking forward to meeting local residents and listening to their thoughts on the Parliament and their hopes for its future.

“We have met people across the entire country to commemorate the Parliament’s 25th anniversary, and visited inspirational community projects, from Shetland to Hawick.

“I’m pleased we’ve partnered with local groups on this visit to Mayfield and Easthouses, and I’m sure we’ll have great discussions about how the Parliament can best represent people in Lothian. I’m also excited to hear more about the various community projects that are taking place here.

“Scotland’s Parliament belongs to its people and it’s vital their voices are heard, to help shape the Parliament’s future.”

Sharon Hill from Mayfield and Easthouses Development Trust said: “We are delighted to be facilitating the visit today. 

“Being chosen for the final visit has been lovely for us.  We are proud of the community and people we serve in Mayfield and Easthouses and are keen to engage with the Parliament to show them what is being done here and how we are fostering a sense of community pride through that work. 

“This is a fantastic opportunity for our community and all the groups and organisations that are active within it to show what they do and how they can be best supported to be even better.”   

Abigail McCall, Policy Officer at Nourish Scotland said: “We’re excited to host and join a lunch in Lothian. Food is always a good way to get people talking about the things that matter most to our everyday lives.

“For the past year, we’ve been travelling around Scotland talking with different communities about creating infrastructure for food – public diners – that mean our right to food can be protected and that people can have a hand in shaping their food environment.

“This public diner lunch is a great way to facilitate discussion around issues, but also potential solutions in the local area.” 

STUC 2025: Usdaw highlights issues around automation and skills, sexual harassment and help for high streets

Retail trade union Usdaw has a delegation of members, reps and officials attending the annual Scottish Trade Union Congress in Dundee, 28 – 30 April. Usdaw is calling for:

  • safeguards for workers when new technology is introduced
  • action to prevent sexual harassment
  • improved funding for Scottish local authorities so they can invest in their local economy, transport networks and high streets.

Tony Doonan – Usdaw regional secretary for Scotland says: “Prior to the pandemic, it was predicted that automation could result in 230,000 job losses across Scotland during this decade. More recent figures highlight the acceleration in automation, with an estimated nine in ten employees needing to retrain by 2030. 

“The Flexible Workforce Development Fund offered an opportunity to deliver the skills necessary to adapt to these changes. Regrettably, the Scottish Government’s withdrawal of funding to this programme will result in reduced delivery of quality apprenticeships and training programmes for workers.”

Usdaw is calling for the immediate implementation of the following provisions, to ensure workers are adequately trained to take advantage of the future world of work:

·         Significant and long-term investment in skills funding, including coordination of skills and education budgets across Scotland.

·         A review of the Retail Modern Apprenticeship to ensure more accessible and transparent access to training and skills.

·         Positive action to tackle under-representation of disadvantaged groups, including calling on employers to report on what actions they are taking to promote inclusive training and skills provisions.

·         The development of robust sectoral plans to support skills development across the whole of Scotland. 

·         A legal right to paid time off for retraining to encourage not just specialised skills such as data science, but greater overall digital literacy as well as broader skills development across the workforce.

·         Support a requirement under UK legislation for employers to consult on new technology, including the use of Equality Impact Assessments which employers must act upon.

Tony Doonan continues: “We welcome the new legal duty requiring employers to prevent sexual harassment arising in the workplace. Recent research into the scale and extent of sexual harassment in workplaces in Scotland demonstrates the necessity of the new legislation.

“We also welcome the inclusion by the Westminster Labour Government in the Employment Rights Bill of the requirement for employers to take ‘all reasonable steps’ to prevent sexual harassment, and the reintroduction of specific protection from third-party harassment.

“These are measures trade unions and women’s rights organisations have long campaigned for. Standalone protection from third-party harassment is vital as studies show that where the perpetrator is a third party, workers, predominantly women, are even more reluctant to report incidents.

“The EHRC have a crucial role in monitoring and enforcing the new preventative duty. Without their scrutiny and intervention, the new duty could be limited in scope and success, as currently a worker cannot bring a standalone claim for either third-party harassment or for a failure to take preventative steps.

“Trade unions together with other key stakeholders also have a key role in establishing what preventative steps employers are taking now that the duty has come into effect, and monitoring their effectiveness.”

Usdaw is asking Congress delegates to call on the STUC to:

·         Continue to give the issue of sexual harassment in the workplace a high priority, recognising that sexual harassment is a form of violence against women and girls, and to share best practice.

·         Work with affiliates and employers to build a broad understanding of what sexual harassment is, the traumatic impact it has on those who experience it, and on society more generally, the scale of the problem, and its causes – so that we can reduce and prevent the harms together.

Tony Doonan concluded: “We are deeply concerned about the challenges facing retail and high streets in Scotland.

“Last year, several major national retailers permanently closed stores and cut jobs. The retail sector is the largest private sector employer in Scotland, providing 241,000 jobs and 9.5% of employment.

“We are calling for consistent and sustainable funding for Scottish local authorities, so they can invest in their local economy, transport networks and high streets.

“This includes supporting the high street as a key element of town centres.”

Pay day boost for thousands of Scottish workers

National Minimum Wage rise hits payslips

 ·                National Minimum Wage and National Living Wage increase puts more money in the pockets of 220,000 of the lowest paid workers in Scotland. 

·                Real terms pay rise will boost wages by £1,400 per year for an eligible full-time worker, boosting living standards and kickstarting growth as part of the Plan for Change.  

·                Visit Check Your Pay to make sure you don’t miss out.  

Up to 220,000 workers in Scotland have started to receive boosted payslips as workers begin to see the benefits of the new National Living Wage and National Minimum Wage rates taking effect.  

The changes will help provide families with better financial stability and living standards, delivering real terms pay increase of £1,400 per year for eligible full-time workers, supporting the Government’s plan to kickstart growth as part of the Plan for Change.  

This uplift delivers better financial security for working people and allows for further workers to potentially benefit from positive spill-over impacts including possible wage increases for those already earning more than the legal minimum. 

Employment Rights Minister Justin Madders said: “Workers across the country are beginning to receive the much-needed boost to their pay slips, as our Plan for Change is putting more money into their pockets.  

“By ensuring a hard day’s work is rewarded with a fair day’s pay, we’re raising living standards millions of families and ensuring that everyone is a part of this government’s mission to deliver economic growth to every part of the UK.  

“If you haven’t already, check your pay to ensure you aren’t missing out on a well-deserved pay rise for work done from 1st April.”    

To ensure workers were fairly compensated, for the first time this Government instructed the Low Pay Commission, the body which recommends the wage rates, to include the cost of living and inflation in its assessment.   

On top of this, the Employment Rights Bill, a key pillar in the Plan to Make Work Pay, will release an additional £600 a year to some of the lowest paid workers. This will ensure that these workers get receive an uplift to wages that delivers better quality of life.   

Workers in Scotland have earned this pay rise and they need to make sure they get it. Visit gov.uk/checkyourpay to check if you are eligible.  

The full increases from 1 April this year were:  

o        National Living Wage (21+) has increased 6.7%, from £11.44 to £12.21 per hour  

o        National Minimum Wage (18-20) has a record increase of 16.2%, from £8.60 to £10 per hour  

o        National Minimum Wage (under 18) has increased 18%, to £7.55 per hour  

o        Apprentice Rate has the largest increase of 18%, from £6.40 to £7.55 per hour  

o        Accommodation Offset of £10.66 per day  

·       The Accommodation Offset is the maximum daily amount which an employer can charge without it amounting to a reduction of pay for National Minimum Wage purposes.  

·       If someone is concerned that they’re not being paid the correct wage, they should speak to their employer. If the problem is not resolved, they can contact Acas (the Advisory, Conciliation and Arbitration Service) by phoning 0300 123 1122, or complain to HMRC in confidence using the link www.gov.uk/minimum-wage-complaint. HMRC looks into every single complaint.  

·       You can find out more about the minimum wage, and whether you’re receiving what you’re entitled to:  

o        Check your pay – Check your pay  

·       You can report possible underpayment of the National Minimum Wage to the ACAS Helpline and also online to HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC):  

o        https://www.gov.uk/pay-and-work-rights  

o        https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/pay-and-work-rights-complaints  

Have you seen Kelvin?

POLICE are appealing to the public to help trace Kelvin Boamah (16) who is reported missing from the Craigmillar area.

Kelvin was last seen around 2pm on Tuesday, 15/04/25 in Greendykes.

He is described as 6ft tall (1.82cm). When last seen, he was wearing a black puffer style jacket, black trousers and white/black shoes.

Kelvin has access to public transport, and it is believed that he remains in Northeast Edinburgh.

Inspector Stewart Massie said: “We are growing increasingly concerned for Kelvin and would ask anyone with information to make contact with us“.

If you can assist, please contact police on 101 quoting reference 0882 of 25/04/25.

Making housing accessible in Edinburgh

COUNCIL HOSTS ACCESSIBLE HOUSING SUMMIT

An event held last week (Tuesday 22 April) at the City Chambers brought together the Council and partners to take steps toward building, adapting, and finding accessible homes across the Capital.

Hosted by the City of Edinburgh Council, the Accessible Housing Summit convened representatives from the third sector, housing associations and the private sector.

Through a series of roundtable discussions, participants explored three key areas: delivering new accessible homes, improving access to existing housing, and ensuring the best use of homes already available.

The event builds on insights from the 2022 Accessible Housing Study and feedback gathered from tenants, residents and partners gathered during consultations on the Council’s draft Local Housing Strategy.

In a tangible step forward, the Council recently began construction on a new residential development in Newington. Once complete, the site will provide 19 modern, fully wheelchair accessible homes available for social rent.

Attendees will now consider what actions can be taken forward to address improving access to information, advice on accessible housing and planning for new accessible homes in Edinburgh.

Housing, Homelessness and Fair Work Convener Lezley Marion Cameron said: “As Edinburgh’s population grows and changes, so do the housing needs of our residents. We must therefore strive to ensure that everyone – irrespective of their health circumstances and accessibility requirements – has a home they can live in with dignity and comfort.

“Whilst this is a national issue, the City of Edinburgh Council faces unique challenges, including being landlord of a high number of older, flatted properties which can often be harder and costly to adapt.  

“It is vital for us to understand the nature, context, and complexity of the barriers to providing fully accessible housing and to work closely and collaboratively with our partners and organisations leading this crucial work to deliver the accessible housing our citizens need now and in the future.”