Tag: real living wage

Edinburgh celebrates the commitment of Living Wage employers

Employers in Edinburgh continue to lead efforts in Scotland to make sure people in work can earn a decent wage that is enough to live on.

The real Living Wage is an independently calculated rate based on the cost of living and is paid voluntarily by employers.  This pay rate is updated every year to make sure hourly pay keeps up with the costs of housing, childcare, transport, and heating costs for workers in Scotland.

Efforts to boost the number of businesses paying the real Living Wage has led to a total of 746 accredited employers in the city. This means that a total of 217,887 employees are covered by a Living Wage commitment.

Figures shared ahead of Living Wage Week 2024 (4 – 12 November) reveal that the Living Wage movement in Edinburgh is continuing to grow. Since October last year, there have been 91 new accreditations in the city, and this has uplifted the pay of 686 staff.

Living Wage week provides an opportunity to reflect on the achievements of the movement to date, and to express gratitude to employers for maintaining their commitment, despite challenging business conditions.

Councillor Jane Meagher, Edinburgh’s Housing, Homelessness and Fair Work Convener, and Co-Chair of Edinburgh Living Wage Action Group, said: “Over 80,000 people are living in poverty in Edinburgh and many have been pushed into deprivation because of insecure work. It really can happen to any of us and that is why the Living Wage is such a powerful tool, for making sure people get a fair day’s pay for a fair day’s work.

“In 2024 we’re more determined than ever to work with employers to encourage them to sign up, and it feels like we’re witnessing a real movement. Edinburgh is now home to 20% of Scotland’s Living Wage employers and since October last year more than 90 businesses have signed up. I’d like to express my gratitude to every single one.

“The next few months and years will be critical because we know more Edinburgh-based businesses want to help tackle low pay and insecure work, but that they are under increasing pressure.

“So, as the rate of the Scottish Living Wage rises to £12.60 an hour, the events hosted here in Edinburgh and across the country provide an opportunity to showcase how far we’ve come, while acknowledging that more work is needed.”

Kat Brogan, Managing Director of Mercat Tours and Co-Chair of the Edinburgh Living Wage Action Group commented: “In Edinburgh, the Living Wage movement has continued to grow.

“This is a massive achievement for the city, particularly as many employers are facing difficult circumstances with rising business costs. In this context, committing to the real Living Wage can seem daunting. Yet, it is more important than ever.

“It is not only the cost of business that is rising; the cost of living is also on the up. More and more workers are struggling to keep up with this and are finding themselves unable to afford necessities like food and heating.

“By accrediting as Living Wage employers, organisations are doing their bit to support their employees and to reduce levels of in-work poverty.”

Almost half a million workers to benefit from Living Wage boost

LIVING WAGE MOVEMENT CONTINUES TO GROW

  • Almost half a million Living Wage workers are set for a pay boost as over 15,000 Living Wage Employers are signed up to pay the new rates 
  • The real Living Wage is the only UK wage rate independently calculated based solely on the actual cost of living and is different from the government’s National Living Wage, which is the legal minimum employers must pay for over-21s 
  • The new real Living Wage rates are now worth over £2,262 more per year in the UK than the legal minimum, and over £4,700 more in London  
  • Nearly £3.5bn in extra wages has gone to low paid workers since 2011 

The Living Wage Foundation has revealed that the Real Living Wage will increase to £12.60 next year.

Almost half a million people working for more than 15,000 real Living Wage Employers throughout the country are set for a vital cost-of-living pay boost, as the real Living Wage rates rise to £12.60 an hour across the UK (60p or 5% increase), and £13.85 an hour in London (70p or 5.3% increase). 

Recent research by the Living Wage Foundation shows that despite inflation easing, many of Britain’s 3.7m low paid workers are still struggling with the impact of years of high prices, with 42% having less than £10 left each week after covering essential expenses, 39% having used a food bank in the past year and 32% have skipped meals for financial reasons. 

The real Living Wage vs the ‘National Living Wage’ – the difference 

The real Living Wage is different to the government’s minimum wage rate, which for those over the age of 21 is often called the “National Living Wage”. It is a higher, voluntary rate that is independently calculated based solely on the actual cost of living. The Government’s rate is the legal minimum businesses are required to pay by law.    

The real Living Wage applies to all workers over the age of 18 working for a Living Wage Employer and is £12.60 an hour. The ‘National Living Wage’ applies to those over the age of 21 and is worth £11.44 an hour.  

A full-time worker earning the new, real Living Wage would earn £2,262 a year more than a worker earning the current government minimum (NLW), and £1,170 more than their current pay. In London, a full-time worker on the new real Living Wage rate would earn an additional £4,700 a year compared to a worker on the current NLW, and £1,365 more than their current pay.  

Despite the economic challenges, in the past three years record numbers of employers have signed up to pay the real Living Wage, including to their third-party contractors like cleaners and security guards, with 1 in 9 employees now working for an accredited Living Wage Employer.  

There are now over 15,000 Living Wage Employers, with recent accreditations including Pieminister, Fred Perry and the National Theatre. They join half of the FTSE 100 companies, household names like Aviva, Everton FC, Ikea, Burberry and LUSH as well as thousands of small businesses, who are choosing to pay the real Living Wage to provide workers and families with greater security and stability. 

There are now 180 Living Hours Employers, including abrdn, Aviva, and West Brom Building Society, going beyond payment of the real Living Wage to also provide a guaranteed minimum of 16 hours work a week, a month’s notice of shift patterns and a contract that reflects hours worked.  

Over 50 employers who want to ensure their workers never face poverty in retirement are signed up to the Living Wage Foundation’s Living Pension accreditation. Living Pension Employers provide a Living Pension savings level using either a cash (£2,950) or percentage (12%) target, with a minimum of 7%, or £1,720, contribution coming from the employer. 

Katherine Chapman, Living Wage Foundation Director, said: “Low paid workers have been hardest hit by the cost-of-living crisis and are still struggling to stay afloat amidst persistently high prices.

“The real Living Wage remains the only UK wage rate calculated based on actual living costs, and the new rates announced today will make a massive difference to almost half a million workers who will see their pay increase. 

“It’s a challenging time for businesses too, which is why it is so encouraging to see the Living Wage movement continue to grow at pace. This year, we reached the major milestone of 15,000 accredited Living Wage Employers – with half of them signing up since 2021.

“Employers who want to go beyond the Government’s minimum wage and ensure their workers are paid in line with the real cost of living can look to these leading employers and accredit with the Living Wage Foundation.”

The City of Edinburgh Council is a Living Wage employer.

Responding to the news, Councillor Jane Meagher, Housing, Homelessness and Fair Work Convener, said: “Thousands of workers across Edinburgh are set for a boost in pay from May thanks to the new Living Wage rate.

“Helping our city’s workers as the cost of living soars, the rate set by the Living Wage Foundation will rise by 60p to £12.60 an hour across the UK.

“Too many people in our city have been pushed into deprivation because of insecure work. It really can happen to any of us and that is why the Living Wage is such a powerful tool for making sure people are paid fairly for their work.

“Considering the increasing pressures businesses are also under, we are so appreciative of the way Edinburgh employers continue to lead the way in Scotland, making Living Wage the norm.”

The city council is supporting calls for fairer pay in local government.

Following agreement by the Policy and Strategy Committee, the Council Leader will write to the Scottish and UK Governments requesting new funding for local councils to support a pay award for all workers, in line with calls from trade unions.

Council Leader Cammy Day said: “There are 80,000 people living in poverty in Edinburgh and because of the soaring cost of living, in-work poverty is rising. One of the most effective ways we can prevent hardship is to provide people with a fair day’s pay for a fair day’s work.

“We have close to 20,000 Council workers keeping our city clean, safe and moving and we’re calling on Government to properly and fully fund a fair pay award for each one.”

Fair Work milestone reached

Record number of Real Living Wage employers in Scotland

The number of Scottish employers registered as paying the real Living Wage has hit a new high of 3,500.

The milestone was reached ahead of the tenth anniversary of Living Wage Scotland, a programme launched by Poverty Alliance with Scottish Government funding to encourage more firms to pay the real Living Wage. The rate is reviewed annually and currently stands at £12 an hour.

Proportionately, Scotland has around five times more accredited real Living Wage employers than the rest of the UK. Latest statistics also show nearly 90% of workers aged over 18 in Scotland are paid the real Living Wage or above – the highest percentage in the UK.

On a visit to one of the most recently accredited firms, Atlas Winch & Hoist Services in Biggar, South Lanarkshire, Wellbeing Economy Secretary Màiri McAllan thanked the growing number of employers committed to keeping pace with the real Living Wage. 

Ms McAllan said: “Fair Work is at the heart of the Scottish Government’s ambition to move towards a wellbeing economy that benefits employees and the planet alongside traditional economic indicators.

“More than 64,000 workers have had a pay rise as a result of accreditation, making a real and ongoing impact for people in Scotland.  

“All public sector grants in Scotland now include a requirement for recipients to pay the real Living Wage and provide appropriate channels for workers to raise concerns. We firmly oppose the inappropriate use of zero hours contracts and other types of employment that offer workers minimal job or financial security.

“While employment powers are reserved to the UK Government, we will continue to use our Fair Work policy to drive up labour market standards for workers across Scotland. Fair Work is good for workers, good for employers and good for the economy.

“Every firm which has declared its intention to be a real Living Wage employer provides peace of mind for its staff, particularly during the cost of living crisis. I thank all the 3,500 Scottish businesses that have now taken that step.”

Atlas Winch & Hoist Services director Conor Lavery said: “We have long paid at least the real Living Wage as it helps to attract and retain a motivated team. As a rural company it is very important to retain the right people and the real Living Wage helps support this.

“We recently decided to seek real Living Wage accreditation to signal our ongoing commitment to our staff, some of whom have been with us for more than 20 years. We want to do as much as we can to support our workforce and try to be as flexible as we can, understanding life’s challenges outside of work.” 

Poverty Alliance director Peter Kelly said: “The Poverty Alliance believes in a wellbeing economy beyond the injustice of in-work poverty.

“Thanks to the leadership of more than 3,500 accredited Living Wage employers in Scotland we are now able to celebrate a decade of incredible impact. The real Living Wage provides a stronger foundation for workers to build better lives for themselves and their households, and a better Scotland for all of us.

“We commend every employer that has chosen to join the Living Wage movement: they are paving the way to a new kind of economy, where more workers earn what they need to thrive, and we encourage employers not yet accredited to get in touch.”

Encouraging Fair Work

New conditions placed on public sector grants

Applicants for public sector grants must support better pay and conditions for workers in order to qualify, under new strengthened criteria which has come into force.

From today, organisations will need to demonstrate they pay at least the real Living Wage and provide channels for workers to have an effective voice, as a condition of the application.

The requirement forms part of the Bute House Agreement, a plan to work together with the Scottish Green Party to build a fairer and more equal economy.

This applies to organisations receiving public sector grants, and limited exceptions may be applied to ensure the measure remains proportionate.

Wellbeing Economy and Fair Work Secretary Neil Gray said: “Public sector funding should be used for the wider benefits needed in a wellbeing economy, such as the promotion of fair work – including the creation of more high quality, well paid jobs. This in turn will support stronger businesses, and vibrant, healthy communities.

“By extending the reach of our Fair Work First criteria – which has already been applied to some £4 billion of public funds since 2019 – we can better tackle the cost crisis, poverty and social inequalities.”

Green Skills, Circular Economy and Biodiversity Minister Lorna Slater said: “While this is essential to improving worker experience, research has also shown businesses with stronger employee voice and representation perform better and are more productive.    

“We will work with employers, workers and trade unions connected to organisations applying for a public sector grant to ensure we are continuing to improve terms and conditions, worker wellbeing and to develop progressive and fairer workplaces.”

Council ‘driving forward’ plans to tackle the impact of poverty on women and girls

A key factor in the bid to end poverty in the Capital by 2030 is the steps being taken by the Council and partners to prevent and mitigate the impacts on women.

The Impact of Poverty on Women and Girls report highlights that women show a higher risk of poverty, and deeper experience of poverty, than men across Scotland.

This is closely linked to child poverty, given there is a proportionately high share of caring responsibilities adopted by women in general – 90% of lone parents are women, 38% of those in Scotland live in poverty.

Women have also been disproportionately affected by the cost of living crisis and, alongside childcare, these patterns are strongly driven by gender inequalities in the workplace. Women account for 60% of all low paid workers in Edinburgh and 78% of all part time workers.

In response to these challenges, actions in the Council’s End Poverty in Edinburgh Delivery Plan, and other plans, which are expected to prevent or mitigate the impact of poverty on women and girls, include:

  • Raising awareness of the gender impacts of poverty
  • Helping to increase incomes for women in poverty
  • Reducing the costs and impact of childcare responsibilities

Council Leader Cammy Day said: “Tackling poverty is one of our key priorities as a Council and our 2030 target is ambitious but one I’m convinced can be achieved. We have to act decisively if we’re to eradicate poverty in Edinburgh.

“It’s a fact that women are more likely to experience poverty and thus it was important that we had a separate update on specific actions being taken to help to further highlight this issue.

“It’s also of course not just the material constraints of living in poverty that make things hard, it’s the emotional strain and it is important that we do all we can to tackle this.

“This update on actions currently underway was well received by councillors who fully support the work of the End Poverty in Edinburgh Delivery Plan which gives an important overview of where we are. We know that we can’t achieve our goals in insolation.

“That’s why we are working with partners such as the End Poverty Edinburgh citizen’s group who help us make sure that the real experiences of people who live in poverty are at the centre of shaping the actions we take to tackle poverty and inequality in the capital city.

“Analysis of these actions will be continued, and I look forward to the update on the wider End Poverty in Edinburgh progress later in the year where will look at all households and priority groups.”

NO Poverty concerns for one new council employee. Edinburgh’s interim Director of Adult Social Care will be paid no less than £403,390 A YEAR!

I’m sure that will go down really well with the capital’s care workers, the majority of whom are women! – Ed.

Grants link to boost Fair Work

Improving pay and working conditions through public sector investment

Organisations applying for public sector grants will need to pay at least the real Living Wage and provide channels for staff to have a say in the workplace from July 2023.

The condition applies to organisations receiving grants from the Scottish Government, enterprise agencies and public bodies. Exceptions may only be applied to emergency funding and where an organisation is heavily dependent on grant funding and paying the real Living Wage would threaten its survival.

The new requirements form part of the Scottish Government and the Scottish Green Party Parliamentary Group Bute House Agreement, a plan to work together to build a fairer and more equal economy.

Employment and Fair Work Minister Richard Lochhead and Green Skills, Circular Economy and Biodiversity Minister Lorna Slater visited MiAlgae, an Edinburgh industrial biotechnology company that has received public sector funding and whose staff are paid at least the real Living Wage and have a voice in the workplace.

Mr Lochhead said: “The Scottish Government is committed to using public sector investment to drive up wages, tackle inequalities and give employees an effective voice.

“This policy is a significant step in strengthening our fair work agenda. For example, in 2021-22 Scottish Enterprise issued £135 million in grants to 953 businesses.

“Fair work and fair pay are good for business. They help improve staff retention and productivity, reduce recruitment costs and contribute to a skilled and motivated workforce.

“Scotland is already leading the way on paying the real Living Wage. In 2022 a record 91 per cent of employees aged over 18 earned the real Living Wage or more in Scotland – higher than the UK as a whole and above any other UK country. There are more than 2,900 accredited real Living Wage employers, which is proportionately five times as many as in the rest of the UK.

“Grant conditionality will strengthen our vision that by 2025, people in Scotland will have a world-leading working life where fair work drives success, wellbeing and prosperity for individuals, businesses, organisations and society.” 

Ms Slater said: “An effective voice for workers is vital to ensure better terms and conditions, worker wellbeing and developing progressive and fairer work places.

“The ability to speak, individually or collectively, and to be listened to, is essential to improving workers experience as well as improving organisational performance.

“We will work with employers, workers and trade unions, to continue improving the terms and conditions for employees of organisations applying for a public sector grant.”

MiAlgae Operations Director Dr Johann Partridge said: “At MiAlgae, the real Living Wage was something we have been fully committed to since the beginning. As an organisation our people are our most important asset and, for us, a happy and engaged team is crucial to our operations.

“Having open channels of communication between staff across every level and area of the business is something we are passionate about. We strive to ensure each member of our team feels empowered and confident to communicate and engage with each other about all elements of our work.”

But the national membership organisation for the voluntary sector, Scottish Council for Voluntary Organisations (SCVO), has raised concerns about those workers who could be left behind. 

In a statement, SCVO said: “SCVO agree that Fair Work for Scotland’s voluntary sector workforce should be a priority. However, it is unclear how the sector will be supported to fund this change. 

“Years of underfunding, followed by Covid-19, and the running costs crisis, mean that for many voluntary sector employers paying the Living Wage cannot be achieved without additional resources.  

“A significant number of people employed in the sector are funded by public sector grants and contracts. SCVO have made clear that to support organisations to pay the Living Wage, public grant funding and procured contracts should build in a Living Wage uplift to ensure organisations delivering public services and other vital support are able to pay the Living Wage.  

“We look forward to more details about how these plans will be funded in the upcoming Scottish Budget. 

Concerns were also raised that plans to ensure Scotland’s voluntary sector workforce are paid at least the Real Living Wage apply only to staff engaged in grant funded activities creating the potential for pay inequality within and between voluntary organisations. 

SCVO encouraged the Scottish Government to engage with voluntary sector funders and employers to ensure that all of the sector’s 135,000 employees can be paid at least the real Living Wage. 

The organisation added: “The voluntary sector workforce makes a huge contribution across Scotland, offering a lifeline to people, families, and communities as the cost-of-living crisis bites. This lifeline shouldn’t need to be extended to voluntary sector staff. 

“Scottish Government need to work with local government, funders, and crucially, the sector, to ensure that voluntary sector organisations have the support they need to pay the Real Living Wage.”

Record number of Scots are being paid the real Living Wage

A Fair Work approach to the cost of living crisis

A record proportion of employees in Scotland are being paid the real Living Wage (rLW) or more, new figures have revealed.

The Office for National Statistics’ Annual Survey of Hours and Earnings shows 91% of employees aged 18 and over earned at least the rLW in 2022, an increase from 85.5% in 2021 and the highest proportion since the rLW series began in 2012.

In comparison, 87.5% of employees aged 18 and over in England are paid the rLW or more, 88.2% in Wales and 85.4% in Northern Ireland.

The ONS survey also confirms that the Gender Pay Gap is lower in Scotland than across the UK as a whole. For full-time employees the gap is 3.7% compared with the UK figure of  8.3%.

The Scottish Government is committed to tackling the cost of living crisis with a Fair Work approach, ensuring workers are paid at least the rLW – currently £10.90 per hour – and supporting more women into jobs through flexible working opportunities.

Minister for Employment and Fair Work Richard Lochhead said: “The Scottish Government’s commitment to promoting payment of the real Living Wage is a fundamental part of our National Strategy for Economic Transformation and a key cost of living policy to deliver a fairer and more equal society.

“The ONS figures confirm that Scottish employers are leading the way and we can be proud of the progress that has been made.

“There is still work to be done on tackling the gender pay gap, but we are taking steps to make this happen. We will publish our refreshed Fair Work Action Plan later this year, outlining the actions needed to close the gap further and create a more diverse and inclusive workplace.

“We will continue to work with employers, employability providers and partners to achieve this aim.” 

Read the Annual Survey of Hours and Earnings statistics in full here.

AnnualSurveyofHoursandEarnings2022publication-26October202229krDownload

TUC calls on ministers to get pay rising, as real wages fall again

Commenting on Tuesday’s labour market figures published by the ONS, which show real wages falling by 4.1 per cent (on CPI measure) as the cost of living crisis intensifies, TUC General Secretary Frances O’Grady said: “Everyone who works deserves financial security. 

“But with the Bank of England predicting the worst decline in real pay for 100 years, energy bills soaring and a recession on the horizon, millions of working families are worried they won’t be able to keep their heads above water this winter. 

“We need action from ministers now. They should cancel the increase to the energy price cap. And they must do far more to get pay rising – starting with boosting the minimum wage this autumn and giving public sector workers a decent pay rise.”  

Zero-hours contracts 

Commenting on the latest data on zero-hours contracts also published by the ONS yesterday, which show more than one million people are employed on these terms, Frances added:  ““The government promised a high skill, high wage economy. 

“But too many workers are stuck on insecure contracts that give them and their families no security. As the cost of living crisis escalates, the case for banning hated zero-hours contracts is stronger than ever.” 

The ONS figures are available at: 

https://www.ons.gov.uk/employmentandlabourmarket/peopleinwork/employmentandemployeetypes/bulletins/uklabourmarket/august2022  

Latest figures published this morning show INFLATION rose to 10.1% in July.

Number of workers on universal credit up by 1.3 million since the eve of the pandemic

  • 130% rise in working claimants during the pandemic 
  • Low-income workers facing “perfect storm” this spring unless ministers improve “woefully inadequate” levels of support, warns union body 
  • Cost-of-living crisis already depressing value of UC, TUC analysis reveals 
  • *NEW POLL* shows many families already struggling to make ends meet 

The TUC has warned that millions of low-income workers face a “perfect storm” this April with universal credit (UC) falling behind the cost of living as energy bills and taxes rise. 

The warning comes as new TUC analysis reveals that the number of workers on UC has increased by 1.3 million since the eve of the Covid-19 pandemic. 

The analysis of official statistics shows that over 2.3 million workers were in receipt of UC at the end of 2021, compared to just over one million on the eve of the pandemic in February 2020. 

This represents an increase of 130 per cent over the last two years and means 1 in 14 (7.2 per cent) working adults now claim UC. 

The TUC says the huge rise in UC recipients has been driven by working households being pushed into financial hardship during Covid, with millions facing a cost-of-living crunch this year. 

Basic value of universal credit now lower than at start of pandemic 

The TUC says that the basic value of UC is now lower than at the start of the pandemic as a result of UC not keeping up with inflation. 

TUC estimates show that the value of UC has fallen by £12 a month in real terms when measured against CPI inflation and £21 a month when measured against RPI inflation compared to just before the pandemic (February 2020).  

The TUC says this trend will only get worse in the months ahead with inflation forecast to rise further. 

Struggling to cover the basics 

The TUC warns that millions of low-paid families face a crunch point in April when energy bills and national insurance contributions go up – at the same time as UC continues to fall in value. 

New polling – carried out for the union body before last week’s energy cap announcement and Bank of England forecasts – shows that many are already struggling to make ends meet: 

  • One in eight workers (12 per cent) say they will struggle to afford the basics in the next six months. And a fifth of working people (22 per cent) say they’ll struggle to afford more than the basics. 
  • Low-paid workers are more likely to be struggling. One in six (17 per cent) low-paid workers (those earning less than £15,000 a year) say they will struggle to afford basics in the next six months, and three in 10 (29 per cent) say they’ll struggle to afford more than the basics. 

Parents of young children, disabled workers, key workers and BME workers are more likely to be struggling: 

  • Nearly one in five families (18 per cent) with kids under 11 will struggle to afford the basics 
  • Over one in five (21 per cent) disabled workers will struggle to afford the basics, compared to 10 per cent of non-disabled workers 
  • 14 per cent of key workers say they’ll struggle to afford the basics in the next six months, compared to 10 per cent of non-key workers 
  • 14 per cent of BME workers say they’ll struggle to afford the basics in the next six months, compared to 11 per cent of white workers 

The poll also reveals that a fifth of workers (21 per cent) say they have Christmas debts to pay off this year – a number that rises to over a quarter (28 per cent) for workers with children of school age. 

Better support needed 

The TUC says the government must do far more to help struggling households to get through the months ahead. 

The union body says the cost-of-living support announced by the Chancellor on Thursday is “woefully inadequate” and will provide families with just £7 extra a week – most of which will have to be repaid. 

The TUC is also calling for UK Government to use the upcoming spring budget to: 

  • Increase to UC to 80 per cent of the real Living Wage. 
  • Introduce a windfall tax on energy companies, using the money to reduce household energy bills 
  • Boost the minimum wage to least £10 an hour now 
  • Work with unions to get pay rising across the economy 

TUC General Secretary Frances O’Grady said: “Millions of low-paid workers face a perfect storm this April.  

“At the same time as energy prices and national insurance contributions shoot up, universal credit is falling in value. 

“The government must do far more to help struggling families get through the tough times ahead. The support package announced by the Chancellor last week is woefully inadequate. 

“Universal credit urgently needs boosting and we need further action to reduce fuel costs for those battling to make ends meet. 

“Oil and energy companies shouldn’t be making bumper profits, while many struggle to heat their homes. 

“If ministers fail to do what is necessary, more households will be pushed below the breadline.” 

On the need to boost pay, Frances added: “The best way to give working families long-term financial security is to get pay rising across the economy. 

“That means increasing the minimum wage to at least £10 an hour now, and ministers requiring employers to negotiate sector-wide fair pay agreements with unions.” 

Councillors deserve pay increases, says COSLA

Real Living Wage claim for Scotland’s councillors

With the role of the Councillor changing dramatically over the last few years, the time is right to review the job – and its pay, COSLA said this week.

COSLA President Councillor Alison Evison says there has to be a ‘realistic’ review of remuneration for the role, and called for the Scottish Government to look at Councillors’ salaries.

The current offering of £18,604 per year simply ‘does not cut the mustard,’ said Councillor Evison, especially given Councillors work on average, 38.5 hours per week according to our research.

COSLA is now calling for Councillors to be paid the Real Living Wage, as a minimum.

Speaking as she launched the summary findings of a Councillor Remuneration Survey, Councillor Evison said:  “The time has come for a realistic look at the remuneration for the role of a Councillor.

“In less than five months, on May 5, Scotland once again goes to the polls to elect the representatives who are the closest to their communities – their local Councillors.

“The Survey we are releasing today is a pivotal opportunity to think about the kind of modern Councillor we want, and about the changes that we need to make to attract candidates who could make a real difference to communities across the country.

“Together with my elected member colleagues, I already passionately believe in local democracy as a real positive force for good within our communities – that is why we stand for election.  However to meet the next challenge we need realistic and proper remuneration that better reflects the role of a modern day Councillor.

“All of us within Scottish Local Government want to harness the power of a more locally democratic way of doing things, to enable a more diverse range of voices at the decision-making table,  and to overhaul participation in council policy-making across the country – but people need to be properly remunerated to make this rhetoric a reality.”

Councillor Evison continued: “The current salary for a councillor is £18,604 and that quite frankly does not cut the mustard.

“A survey undertaken by COSLA as part of removing barriers to elected office work clearly shows that councillors from all political parties and none feel that the time has arrived for this new, radical and bold approach to Councillors’ remuneration as part of a wider package of action to increase Councillor diversity and address financial barriers to elected office for underrepresented groups.

“We are excited about what can be achieved, but we know that to attract a more diverse range of people to the role of the modern Councillor simply will not happen without a commitment from Scottish Government to look at Councillor remuneration.

“We are not asking for anything too bold, our starting point is that as a minimum, Councillors should be paid the Real Living Wage for hours worked.

“There would rightly be uproar if Councils did not pay their employees the Real Living Wage – therefore why not Councillors, who according to our survey findings work 38.5 hours per week?

“The Real Living Wage would still only put Councillors in the same bracket as the Care/Retail and Hospitality Sectors.”