New figures show Scottish Labour’s plan to create a Real Living Wage of £10-per-hour would give a pay rise to 130,000 young people in Scotland. Unveiled in Labour’s manifesto last month, which inspired millions of young people a… read more
Today the Scottish Government is launching a pilot scheme in Aberdeen providing free sanitary products to women and girls on lower incomes.
I’m pleased the campaign I have started as an opposition MSP has pushed SNP Ministers to act, but the reality is that women and girls urgently need national action now.
A pilot scheme is a welcome step in the right direction, but we must go much further to help women and girls across the country who are facing a monthly struggle to access the products they need.
After relentless austerity over the last few years from both the Tories and the SNP, there are too many women and girls in Scotland who are unable to afford essential sanitary products during menstruation due to poverty.
Yet there’s no reason why any woman or girl, in a wealthy country like Scotland in 2017, should be unable to access these vital products which are essential to their health and wellbeing.
We need to end period poverty and improve access to sanitary products right across Scotland and that’s why I will soon be launching a consultation on a Members Bill proposal which will give all women in Scotland the right to access these products for free, regardless of their income.
During my campaign I’ve been inspired to meet so many committed activists who are championing the issue of access to sanitary products in their own professions, classrooms and communities.
I hope as many people as possible will take part in my consultation and that SNP Ministers will embrace my ambition to make Scotland an example to the world on menstrual health.
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Alistair Watson Tribute To all who are here today – Elected Members, Leader of the Council, former Leaders, MPs and MSPs – thank you for coming today on such a sad occasion. I stand here today, on behalf of the Glasgow Labour Party, f… read more
New analysis from Scottish Labour has shown the SNP’s ‘help to buy’ scheme is failing to help working people. The analysis shows the average annual income of households benefitting from the scheme was £46,000. Yet the median… read more
9 July 2017
Younger workers are being failed by the SNP and the Tories. Here’s why.
The SNP Business Pledge – a promise to pay the living wage and not use zero hour contracts amongst other things – has been signed by ZERO hospitality businesses, the government’s own figures show.
In fact – so few businesses have signed the pledge that it only covers 0.2 percent of registered Scottish businesses.
SNP’s Business Pledge under fire after research suggests very low uptake https://t.co/bGpsbV17qY pic.twitter.com/caazk5AjAE
— The Scotsman (@TheScotsman) July 9, 2017
Why does this matter?
Hospitality work has the highest levels of young people, on low pay and insecure work, in the Scottish economy.
Almost a third of workers in hospitality are under 25
29% of those in employment in ‘Distribution, hotels and restaurants’ sector in Scotland are aged between 16-24.
The hospitality sector has the largest use of zero hour contracts
7% of total employment in accommodation and food services is through zero hour contracts. That is the highest out of the aggregated jobs sectors in the Scottish economy.
The hospitality industry has the lowest median hourly pay across all industries in Scotland
This Scottish Parliament briefing about wages in Scotland shows that ‘accommodation and food service’ as having the lowest median hourly pay in Scotland in 2016 standing at £7.42.
What would Labour do differently?
We’ve got a plan for a better deal for younger workers – like a £10 minimum wage, and an end to exploitative zero hour contracts.
This week, we launched our industrial strategy, a plan to build an economy for the many, not the few.
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