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Public sector urged to put living wage at heart of public service reform for young workers.

The wider public sector should put paying the living wage at the heart of their reform plans, Scotland's Cabinet Secretary for Fair Work Roseanna Cunningham said yesterday.

Addressing public sector leaders from across the country at the Scottish Leaders Forum, Ms Cunningham urged them to make a commitment that paying the living wage to their employees will become the norm as part of the process of reforming public services.

This commitment should also include Modern Apprentices (MAs) and interns who are doing a job where someone doing an equivalent role is paid the living wage when the organisation can afford to do so.

The Cabinet Secretary also said that as a minimum the Scottish Government expect MAs and interns to be paid the UK adult minimum wage rate - not the lower UK MA rate - and yesterday called on any area of the wider public sector where this does not already happen to address this as a matter of urgency.

Ms Cunningham said yesterday:

"This Government has put tackling inequalities at the heart of all we do and it follows that the wider public sector should do the same.

"By paying a living wage to employees across the wider public sector, 20 per cent of Scotland's workforce would be earning a living wage, setting a great example and giving a strong signal to the private sector to seriously consider the fairness of their pay policies.

"Adopting a policy of fair pay for all workers must also include those just starting out and that is why I am today calling on the wider public sector to ensure as a matter of urgency that all MAs within their organisations are paid at least the UK adult minimum wage rate and not the lower UK MA rate. But where affordable, we want the public sector to go further and ensure youth workers, whether MAs or interns, receive the living wage if they are doing a job equivalent to someone who is already receiving that level of pay.

“By leading by example the public sector in Scotland can set a gold standard of fair pay and fair work for the rest of employers in Scotland to follow. 

“As a sector we want to be able to collectively be proud of our commitment to fairness, of our commitment to supporting our young workforce and of the part we have played in building an economy and a country where fair work and fair pay are the rule and not the exception. 

“The youth of today, and tomorrow, simply cannot afford for us to let this opportunity slip by.”

Notes To Editors

The Scottish Government pays all its staff at least the minimum wage. This includes all MAs and interns.

Current rates are:

Living Wage - £7.85

UK minimum wage for adults – £6.50 per hour

UK minimum wage for 16 and 17 year old MA’s - £2.73 per hour

The Cabinet Secretary's speech can be read here.