Living wage rises to £8.75

Cabinet Secretary for Fair Work Keith Brown welcomed the new Living Wage rate and has urged more Scottish employers to become accredited.

The 30 pence uplift will see thousands of people benefit from higher wages to help meet the increasing cost of living.

Speaking at a visit to the East Kilbride head office of construction company akp Scotland, Mr Brown said:

 “This increase to the Living Wage is good news for thousands of people and will help boost wages to offset the increasing cost of living.

“The Living Wage is not just positive for employees, it also makes sense for businesses, having been proven to increase productivity, reduce staff absence, and improve morale. It also sends a strong and valuable signal to customers about fairness.

“Scotland performs exceptionally well in this area, having the highest proportion of employees paid at or above the Living Wage out of any of the UK nations, and well over a quarter of all UK Living Wage accreditations.

“However, we know that we can and must do more to promote our fair work agenda and put equality at the heart of our labour market, ensuring that everyone earns at least the Living Wage in the future.”