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Thousands of staff at the City of Edinburgh Council are set to benefit from the introduction of the living wage from January next year. The proposal, announced during Living Wage Week is to set the figure at £7.50, five pence above the recommended rate. This is one of the first Capital Coalition
pledges agreed at the Council meeting in August to be delivered. The increase in pay will make staff feel more valued, leading to improved wellbeing and improved attendance at work. This will in turn lead to increased productivity in the workplace which will improve the delivery of Council services across the city. More than two thousand staff will benefit
from the increase, the large proportion of whom are women working in jobs such as carers and cleaners.
For me it's simply a matter of fairness. People should get a decent wage for working. It's a strange logic that claims that it's essential to give the rich more and the poor less in order for the economy to work. It is widely recognised that a fair wage
strategy will undoubtedly stimulate the economy and have a positive effect socially. It’s absolutely vital that we recognise the contribution that they make through their hard work to the welfare of Edinburgh’s people. It’s a proposal that has been welcomed by parties from across the political spectrum. The concept of a living wage is also
supported by a number of private and public sector organisations including KPMG and Barclays Bank.
Much like the fantastic work achieved by the Council, the Scottish Youth Parliament is also championing One Fair Wage. This is a campaign to encourage organisations to pledge their support for a Scottish Living Wage. I wholeheartedly support
this campaign and added my name to their pledge. In his party conference speech in October, Ed Miliband talked about a ‘One Nation’ economy in which
everyone has a stake in society and prosperity is fairly shared. The Living Wage gives us a perfect example of this principle in practice. It has the potential to lift families out of poverty whilst far-sighted businesses are increasingly aware of the benefits that can come from paying their staff a decent wage. A Scottish Living Wage
won't solve all the problems causing poverty in Scotland. But without decent wages which
allow low paid workers a decent standard of living it is impossible to see a solution. I wish the Youth
Parliament every success in their efforts to promote a Scottish Living Wage. The benefits for both business and individuals is clear to see.
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