STUC and Scottish Living Wage Campaign respond to major disappointment in Procurement Reform Bill

October 4th 2013

STUC and Scottish Living Wage Campaign respond to major disappointment in Procurement Reform Bill

October 4th 2013

Peter Kelly said on behalf of the Scottish Living Wage Campaign:

"The fact that the Scottish Government now pays the living wage to all of its employees makes the decision to exclude the Living Wage from the Procurement Reform Bill all the more disappointing. We believe that if the political will and commitment is there, then a way could have been found to ensure that the Living Wage became part of procurement process in Scotland.

“The public sector spends billions of pounds every year through procurement. This is a missed opportunity for the Scottish Government to ensure that this money can help tackle the problem of low pay."

Dave Moxham, Deputy General Secretary of STUC said:

“For some time now a consensus has been emerging that endemic low pay is a serious economic and social problem in Scotland.

“Therefore, it's come as a crushing disappointment to learn today that the Scottish Government's Procurement Reform Bill includes not a single reference to the Living Wage. Not only is the Living Wage absent from the body of the Bill, there's also no mention in the associated Policy Memorandum. Anyone looking at these papers would be completely unaware that the Living Wage has been and remains a key campaigning priority for the range of stakeholders involved in the campaign.

“If the Scottish Government believes that nothing more can be done through procurement to extend the Living Wage then it must urgently bring forward alternative proposals. Indeed, these should have been published today alongside the Bill.

“If the Scottish Government's oft stated commitment to fairness and equality is to be taken at all seriously then it really should start to get real on the Living Wage”.

ENDS

For further information contact Dave Moxham 0141 337 8100