6 . Glasgow Business October 2015
Social responsibility
Glasgow Chamber signs up to the Living Wage
»Members’ worries over in-work poverty convinced us to back deal T
he news that the Chamber is backing the Living Wage was announced at an event hosted by Glasgow City Council in August for more than
350 organisations that have signed up. Stuart Patrick, Chief Executive of Glasgow
Chamber, told the audience: “Glasgow Chamber of Commerce, as a business in its own right, has decided to sign up to the Living Wage for our employees. Our structure and processes allow that decision, and we will be implementing it straight away.” Te Glasgow City Council initiative has
been set at £7.85 per hour in 2015/16, and already applies to the employees of the council, its ALEOs (arms-length external organisations), as well as those organisations in the private and public sectors who have commited to it. Explaining the background to the decision,
Mr Patrick said: “Asking a Chamber of Commerce to review its policies on the Living Wage is not an easy step. Business organisations don’t typically rush to endorse policies like the Living Wage since they are oſten seen as policies to increase costs.” He said that Glasgow Chamber had
acknowledged Gordon Matheson’s campaign for the Living Wage and announced at the beginning of this year that it would be carrying out a review of Chamber policies on the topic. “I also accepted Gordon’s invitation to join
Glasgow’s Poverty Leadership Panel so that we could get a much deeper appreciation of the scale, nature and impact of poverty in the city,” Mr Patrick said. “By our very nature, we represent
businesses in Glasgow that come in all shapes and sizes, large, small and from the full range of sectors. “We began our consultation work at the
start of the year and issued an interim report in April exploring both the benefits and the potential consequences for our business community. “We made that report available to all
members and carried out detailed discussions with many of those who either support the Living Wage or are generally opposed. Te
Stuart Patrick (left) and Gordon Matheson make the Living Wage Pledge
issue of in-work poverty does worry many of our members. Tere is no desire in responsible businesses simply to exploit the economics of the situation. “We start with a background of sympathy
towards the aims of the Living Wage and an appreciation that very many of our members see the Living Wage as positively beneficial to their business. “Our members consistently express a
genuine desire to tackle the problem of in-work poverty and many already pay their staff at or above the Living Wage. “We do, however, represent a diverse range
of businesses and have a responsibility to all of them to understand the specific impacts and potential consequences. “To that end, we are nearing the close of
our robust review of the Living Wage and will shortly outline our new policy.” Councillor Matheson, the-then Leader of
Glasgow City Council, said: “Te Glasgow Living Wage is something that makes a genuine difference to a lot of people in this city. It is only right that those working hard in their jobs should not have to face up to poverty, and it is tremendously heartening to see so many businesses signing up to this.”
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