TORY LIVING WAGE "CON" WILL SHORT CHANGE WORKERS BY OVER £700

A promised wage rise for low-income workers is a “con” that means Scots will be paid hundreds of pounds less than the real Living Wage, SNP Consumer Affairs Spokesperson Patricia Gibson MP has said.

The UK Tory Government has pledged to raise the minimum wage – cynically rebranded by the Tories as the “National Living Wage” – to £10.50 by 2024.

However, new analysis by the Scottish Parliament Information Centre (SPICe) has found that, on current trends, the real Living Wage should rise to £10.90 by 2024.

A minimum wage worker on 35 hours a week would be paid £728 a year less than the real Living Wage under Tory proposals.

The Scottish National Party (SNP) supports the raising of the minimum wage to the level of the real Living Wage – independently calculated to meet the cost of living. While Scotland has the highest level of workers paid the Living Wage in the UK, 470,000 Scots currently earn less than the real Living Wage and wage levels remain reserved to the UK Parliament.

Commenting, Mrs Gibson said:

“The SNP has led the way on promoting the real Living Wage and encouraging employers to ensure it is paid across Scotland.

“Meanwhile, the Tories are trying to con the public by rebranding the minimum wage while leaving workers underpaid by the tune of £728 a year.

“This demonstrates exactly why Scotland should have full powers over our economy – to ensure that nobody is left on poverty wages.”