Scotland's National Strategy for Economic Transformation: summary

5. A Fairer and More Equal Society

Significantly reducing poverty boosts our economy, but achieving it requires better wages and fair work. We will ensure that work provides a sustainable standard of living and a genuine route out of poverty.

Through our two new projects we will:

• tackle poverty through fairer pay and conditions; and
• eradicate structural barriers to participating in the labour market.

Key actions we will implement:

• Apply fair work conditionality to grants, requiring payment of real living wage, and channels for effective workers' voice.
• Deliver sectoral fair work agreements in areas of low pay, in partnership with industry and trades unions, that deliver payment of the real living wage, better security of work, and wider fair work first standards.
• Support parents to increase their incomes from employment as part of cross-government action to deliver upon the ambitious targets set through the child poverty (Scotland) act 2017.
• Simplify the employability system by implementing No One Left Behind.
• Take further steps to remove barriers to employment and career advancement for disabled people, women, those with care experience and people from minority ethnic groups.
• Build on the principles of the Young Person's Guarantee, developing an all age guarantee of support for those most disadvantaged in the labour market.
• Establish a Centre of Expertise in Equality and Human Rights within Scottish Government.