At this week’s full meeting of Stirling Council, a Labour Group motion put forward by Labour councillors Johanna Boyd and Corrie McChord calling for a raise in the minimum wage paid to council employees was passed unanimously. The minimum wage will rise from £8.33 per hour to £8.50 per hour and will be backdated to 16th November 2016.
This means pay packets will rise by more than the Living Wage Foundation’s latest recommendations. Every year the LWF sets an hourly rate which is the figure they’ve worked out people need to live. Last month (November 2016), the LWF set the figure for the next year at £8.45 per hour, significantly more than the national minimum wage which is £5.55 per hour for over 18s, £6.95 an hour for over 21s and £7.20 an hour for over 25s.
Labour’s Leader of Stirling Council Johanna Boyd says,
“It was a Labour priority in 2012 when we came into administration to deliver a living wage and I’m delighted that since then we’ve been a trailblazer for such an important and socially responsible issue. In the face of some of the most brutal cuts brought about by the SNP Government strangling council funding, we’ve consistently found a way to stay true to Labour values and acknowledge the pressures on individual and family budgets.”
Corrie McChord says,
“This motion not only continues to address low pay, it also addresses equal pay because most of the beneficiaries of any increase are women. Last month the Tory Chancellor set the National Living Wage at £7.20, but anybody on that rate will tell you it simply isn’t enough. It is great that with some political will and determination, we have set a higher standard for both public and private sector organisations to aim for and that is good for the economy and our communities.
Stirling Council became a Living Wage Accredited employer in 2015 and encourages all local employers to adopt fair work practices. The Labour-led administration has ensured a Stirling minimum wage higher than the Scottish Living Wage every year since 2012.