Author: davepickering

Edinburgh reporter and photographer

TUC: Office workers at risk of being “cheated” out of minimum wage as new rate comes into force

Salaried workers could be paid illegally low wages as minimum wage set to go up tomorrow

The TUC has warned that office workers and other salaried workers could be at risk of being “cheated” out of the minimum wage by their employer.  

The warning comes ahead of the introduction of the new rate of the minimum wage from Monday 1 April. 

A salaried worker – many of whom are office workers – is paid an annual salary which stays the same regardless of fluctuations in the hours they work. This is paid in equal payments, usually monthly or 4-weekly. 

The TUC analysis shows that for an employer to be minimum wage compliant as of 1 April: 

  • Workers doing 35 hours per week will have to be paid at least £20,821 a year 
  • Workers doing 37.5 hours per week will have to be paid at least £22,308 a year 
  • Workers doing 40 hours per week will have to be paid at least £23,795 a year 
  • Workers doing 42.5 hours per week will have to be paid at least £25,282 a year 

The TUC was easily able to find online adverts for salaried jobs still advertised below the incoming minimum wage in roles. 

Minimum wage non-compliance is usually associated with jobs paid at an hourly rate where non-compliance is more prevalent.   

The Low Pay Commission estimates that over 430,000 salaried workers are on the minimum wage or less. But as the minimum wage rises, many more salaried workers may be within scope – and will find that they are being illegally underpaid if their salaries do not rise.  

Salaried jobs have almost doubled as a proportion of minimum wage jobs since 2015. LPC analysis finds that 14.6% of minimum wage jobs were salaried in 2015 compared to 28.8% in 2023. 

Unpaid overtime 

Even where salaries do go up, the TUC says many salaried workers could still be facing an additional risk of underpayment. This is because many will also be putting in hours of unpaid overtime. Although they might be paid the minimum wage or above for their contracted hours, their unpaid overtime could mean they are working hourly for less than the minimum wage. 

UK employers claimed £26billion of free labour last year because of workers doing unpaid overtime, according to TUC analysis. The average weekly unpaid overtime is just over 7 hours.  

That means a British salaried worker who is contracted 35 hours per week who does the typical amount of overtime would need to be paid £25,000 to be paid the minimum wage at an hourly rate.  

The law sets out that employers must pay at least the minimum wage for all hours actually worked, even if they are in addition to the hours in the worker’s contract. 

The TUC warns desk-based office workers are often expected to put in hours of overtime as part of their job. 

Underpayment in the first month 

The TUC has today warned April will likely see more than a quarter of a million workers paid less than the minimum wage this month, as the new rate of the minimum wage comes into force.  

The union body says the significant scale of underpayment when a new rate comes in underlines the “urgent need for investment in our enforcement system”. 

TUC General Secretary Paul Nowak said: “The minimum wage is the very least employers should pay their workers. It’s their legal duty.    

“But too many workers are cheated out of pay by bad bosses, who choose to pay staff illegally low rates.  

“Minimum wage cheats exploit workers from a range of jobs – and desk-based office jobs are no exception. 

“And to make matters worse, many desk-based workers are expected to put in hours of overtime for free. That’s not right.  

“It’s time for a New Deal for Working People – like Labour is proposing – which will deliver a real living wage, boost wages across the board and beef up our enforcement system so that bad bosses can’t get away with failing to pay their staff the minimum wage.” 

Police: Operation Springvalley

#Op Springvalley is the south-east response to youth disorder, anti-social-behaviour & criminal activity, targeting all categories of criminality via prevention, disruption, intelligence gathering and enforcement.

Community Sgt Jen Macgregor said: ‘Our officers will be out conducting high-viz patrols to provide reassurance, engage with the community, prevent offending, and gather intelligence.’

Wishing you all a happy Easter, stay safe!

#OpSpringvalley

Long term rent controls proposed

Housing Bill measure to help tenants stay in their homes

Long term rent controls would help keep homes affordable for tenants in future, under new legislation to create a fairer, better regulated rented sector.

The Housing (Scotland) Bill, introduced to Parliament last week, sets out how close working with councils will ensure rent controls are tailored to the local needs of tenants and landlords in different parts of the country. 

Publication of the Bill, which will be scrutinised and voted on by MSPs, comes as temporary changes to the way rents are decided, through adjudication, come into force. From 1 April, these changes will ensure people are protected from very steep rent rises, following the end of the rent cap. Proposed rent increases after this date will still need to give three months’ notice.

Tenants’ Rights Minister Patrick Harvie said: “Scotland has led the way within the UK in supporting and strengthening the rights of people who rent their homes.

“The Housing Bill sets out our next steps on the path towards a fairer, well-regulated private rented sector, which is good for both tenants and landlords and encourages investment. 

“While the Parliament prepares to consider this legislation, we are also taking steps to support tenants with the pressures they are facing here and now.

“Our temporary changes to the ways that rents are decided will come into place from April 1 – to protect people who may be facing very steep increases as the temporary rent cap comes to the end of its final extension period.”

Gladiator victory ‘no surprise’

How SCOTS Military Training Forged Gladiators Champion

The Edinburgh based fitness trainer at the barracks of Gladiators winner Major Finlay Anderson has expressed his lack of surprise at the standout performance of his fellow soldier.

Sergeant John Fleming, who has trained over a thousand soldiers at Glencorse Barracks in the outskirts of Edinburgh, believes Finlay’s military training played a huge part in his success in the hit BBC show.

John, who helps soldiers of all ranks reach and maintain peak physical fitness, said: “I’m not surprised that a soldier from The Royal Regiment of Scotland was able to beat the Gladiators – our training is to the highest, most demanding standards and anyone who is capable of enduring it could really take on the challenge in terms of fitness and endurance.

“The way we train means it’s not just about physical strength and stamina – it’s the mental resilience that gives our soldiers the edge and the ability to take on any challenge.”

SCOTS soldiers under John’s training are required to have a minimum of three physical training sessions per week, at least 60 minutes dedicated to self-directed fitness. And, in the lead-up to operations, sessions significantly increase in intensity, becoming testing and uncomfortable as soldiers’ overall fitness and mental resilience is pushed to extremes.

John said: “Our gym and training ground doesn’t exactly look like the Gladiators stadium, but it certainly is a space where soldiers learn physical discipline and, when necessary, push themselves to their limits.

“Soldiers are first put through the foundation phase, teaching correct movement and injury prevention. We then move onto the resilience phase, where soldiers’ cardio strengths are put to the test in full kit.

“The final phase is the ‘Specific Phase’, which puts soldiers through their paces by focusing on strength training through various testing exercises. This really is the toughest part.”

With seven years as a Physical Training Instructor (PTI) under his belt, John has helped over a thousand SCOTS Soldiers develop and improve their own physical training, mental resilience, and overall strength.

Aged just 17, John started his army journey with six years as an Infantry soldier within the Royal Regiment of Scotland and two years as a Royal Electrical and Mechanical Engineer before joining the Royal Army Physical Training Corps (RAPTC), igniting his passion for fitness into his career development.

Ahead of stepping into the official role of Physical Training Instructor (PTI), John endured a tough selection process in Aldershot, which tested his physical and mental strength to the limit. Within the grueling 19-weeks of training, John was taught how to develop advanced physical training techniques, leadership skills, instructional methods and widen his military understanding.

John said: “Being a PTI in the Army is a tough, but extremely rewarding job.  Not only do I get to bolster the fittest soldier athletes, but I also get to train those who need some extra support, where Army levels of fitness may not come as naturally to them.”

The Prime Minister’s Easter message

Happy Easter everyone. This weekend, as people come together to celebrate and reflect on the message at the heart of the Easter festival, I want to pay tribute to the incredible work of Christians in this country.

To the churches, charities, volunteers and fundraisers who live the Christian values of compassion, charity and self-sacrifice, supporting those in need and demonstrating what it means to “love thy neighbour”.

Many, I know, will also be thinking of those in pain and suffering around the world and Christians, persecuted because of their faith, who are unable to celebrate Easter freely. 

For many of us in the UK, Easter is a chance to pause and reflect, and an opportunity to spend some precious time with our families and a moment to enjoy the start of spring.

So this weekend, let me wish you all a very happy and peaceful Easter.

Edinburgh International Film Festival announces collaboration with Edinburgh Festival Fringe

Out of Competition, Midnight Madness and Repertory strands will showcase the best in UK and World cinema

The newly relaunched Edinburgh International Film Festival (EIFF) has today announced a landmark collaboration with the renowned Edinburgh Festival Fringe which will open up the Film Festival programme in new venues across the city including non-traditional cinema spaces at Summerhall and the heart of the Fringe footprint.

From August 15 to August 21 2024, the 77th edition of EIFF will see film embedded in the August festival ecosystem, allowing audiences to seamlessly experience the best of the Fringe along with the world-class programme of cinema at EIFF.

Spaces in Summerhall and others at the heart of the Fringe will serve as unique and unusual EIFF venues, creating a new EIFF footprint in close proximity to wider Fringe activity including theatre, music and comedy, ensuring audience engagement with Edinburgh’s summer festivals is easier than ever before.

This year’s cinema hub will be the Cameo Cinema on Home Street, one of the original venues for EIFF and home to some of its most iconic moments, including a speech from Orson Welles as part of the Festival in 1953. 

This year’s EIFF programme will include a strand of Out of Competition films including international premieres, UK premieres and additional world premieres sitting alongside the 10 world-premiere feature films competing for The Sean Connery Prize for Feature Filmmaking Excellence.

A Midnight Madness strand will showcase the best in genre cinema from around the world in a late night slot.

A repertory strand will champion retrospective and restored masterworks.

Innovative short film programmes will also run alongside this year’s EIFF Short Film Competition, which will award a cash prize of £15,000. The title of the Short Film Competition will be revealed soon.

Industry activity will run across the first weekend of the Festival with more announcements to follow in the next few weeks. Submissions to the 77th EIFF are currently open, with a final deadline of 19 April.

EIFF honours 70+ years of film festival history, showcasing the very best talent in filmmaking in a format rooted in a local Scottish context whilst embracing the international diversity of creative expression. The Film Festival encourages general audiences, film fans and industry professionals to make the trip this summer to Edinburgh, which is universally recognised as a place of beauty, history, discovery and adventure.

EIFF Director, Paul Ridd said: “We are so excited by the possibilities of August in Edinburgh and the shape of our programme as it comes together.

“Our collaboration with the Fringe will grow a powerful relationship between audiences across artistic forms. We will tap into the creative energy that is everywhere in the city, encouraging critics, tastemakers and above all audiences to engage with each other and all that is on show.”

Recently announced, The Sean Connery Prize for Feature Filmmaking Excellence is a £50,000 award given to a single filmmaker as part of a new features competition prize at the centre of the relaunched festival. 

10 world-premiere feature films will compete for the cash prize, to be determined by audience vote. EIFF will also inaugurate a short film competition with a cash prize of £15,000. Submissions are now open. Criteria for submitting films to the Festival can be found at www.edfilmfest.org.

Helmed by Festival Director Paul Ridd and Festival Producer Emma Boa, the team aims to create a world-class showcase for independent film and filmmaking talent.

Former Acquisitions Executive Ridd is supported by an expanding Board, including Chair Andrew Macdonald of DNA Films, producer of the iconic Edinburgh-based film Trainspotting; Peter Rice, former Chairman of General Entertainment at Disney and President of 21st Century Fox; and Amy Jackson, producer of last year’s BAFTA award-winning indie, Aftersun. EIFF 2024 is supported by Screen Scotland.

Business is blooming for UK’s only fully electric-powered gardening business thanks to support from Business Gateway

The UK’s only fully electric-powered gardening business has been able to make new hires and grow its business operations after accessing support from Business Gateway.

The Cycling Gardeners of Edinburgh, which offers a complete garden maintenance service delivered on cargo bikes by a team of independent gardeners, was founded in 2023 by Callum Ross, who wanted to combine his talent for gardening with his desire to be more sustainable.

Callum, who previously worked as an Operations Manager in the events industry, was keen to reinvent the way gardeners operate in Scotland’s capital city.

The business uses cargo bikes to travel and to transport materials and exclusively uses electric power tools. While the tools are more expensive than traditional petrol-powered tools, they are more sustainable, which chimes with the overall principle of the business.

As well as its team of freelance gardeners, who are largely experienced horticulturalists, The Cycling Gardeners of Edinburgh is also hoping to employ young gardeners who may be new to the trade but who may not have their driving licence.

The team has worked with local organisations Spokes, Sustrans, and the Cargobike Movement to increase their knowledge of cargo bikes.

Looking for some inspiration on growing his business, Callum attended a Business Gateway-run Meet the Investors session where he was able to rehearse pitching his business and find out about the work Business Gateway does. It was this that inspired him to contact Business Gateway, and through that he met his adviser Jeff Hume.

Business Gateway has supported The Cycling Gardeners of Edinburgh in a number of ways, including helping them to employ an Operations Manager using Edinburgh’s Employer Recruitment Incentives (EERI) Scheme, using the research service to identify possible collaborations and improving their use of social media.

Callum Ross, Founder of The Cycling Gardeners of Edinburgh said: “I’ve found that having a personal contact in Jeff has been so helpful, and I’m safe in the knowledge that he can give us solid advice.

“Business Gateway has also supported us in applying for grant funding which has been so helpful to help keep our operations afloat.

“As a new business, it’s invaluable to have the support of Business Gateway and to know that they’re on the other end of a phone if you need.”

Jeff Hume, Business Gateway adviser said: “It has been fantastic to support Callum and the team to create this unique idea and watch it come to life. They’ve been able to determine a great niche for their company and it’ll be wonderful to see it bloom into something even more special.”

To find out more about how Business Gateway can help your business, visit https://bgateway.com.

SGN gas mains upgrade work on Glasgow Road begins on Tuesday

Gas network company SGN will shortly begin work to replace the old metal gas mains on Glasgow Road with new plastic pipes. This work is essential to ensuring the local community continues to receive a safe and reliable gas supply.

As part of a wider project in the West Craigs area, work on Glasgow Road will begin on Tuesday 2 April and should be completed in around two weeks.

Lane closures will be in place on Glasgow Road west bound, and Maybury Road south bound, both at the Maybury Junction.

This is a busy route and motorists are being urged to allow more time for their journeys and plan ahead, particularly during peak travel times. 

The work will progress as quickly and safely as possible and all efforts to reduce disruption are being made, including the work being undertaken within the Easter break.

SGN manages the network which distributes natural and green gas to approximately six million homes and businesses across Scotland and southern England. Our pipes deliver gas safely, reliably and efficiently to each of these customers.

We perform an essential 24/7 service to keep everyone in our communities safe and warm. If anyone smells gas indoors or outside, they should dial the National Gas Emergency Number on 0800 111 999* and an engineer will visit that location to carry out the required checks.

We’re committed to caring for our customers, especially those in vulnerable circumstances, working with specialist organisations on initiatives aimed at making a positive impact on society and improving the lives of the people in our communities.

Alongside the UK and Scottish Governments and the other gas distribution networks, we’re developing the world’s first zero-carbon gas grid and shaping a net zero future for the UK.

*Calls are free and lines are open 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. These calls are recorded and may be monitored

Musselburgh racing ABANDONED

Musselburgh Racecourse has ABANDONED today’s (30 March) Virgin Bet Easter Saturday Race Day.

The East Lothian track took the difficult decision to call off the meeting after further rainfall this morning which made the course unsafe for jockeys and horses.

All ticket holders will be contacted with information on how to transfer their booking to another meeting or to receive a full refund.

Racecourse director Bill Farnsworth said: “Unfortunately racing has been abandoned. We had 15mm of rain yesterday and a further 3.25mm of rain this morning between 5am and 6am.

“It has been an incredibly wet winter and the ground is very wet. Normally Musselburgh could handle this kind of weather but the water table must be so high, that this has not happened.

“The ground is saturated in places and our priority must be the safety of the jockeys and the horses. It is very disappointing, we had a brilliant day lined up for our race goers and we are sorry to have to abandon racing.”