Meeting of the Parliament 07 May 2014
That did not sound like a “yes” to me. The SNP is again setting its face against that policy.
The minister’s amendment removes the final sentence of the Greens’ motion, which is a rather gentle request for the Government to investigate wage ratios. I admit to being surprised by that because, when Ken Macintosh brought the matter up at stage 2 of the Procurement Reform (Scotland) Bill, Nicola Sturgeon said:
“I whole-heartedly endorse many of—if not all—his comments.”—[Official Report, Infrastructure and Capital Investment Committee, 12 March 2014; c 2772.]
That was the SNP position a mere few weeks ago. Why has it changed? Why is that proposal to be removed from the motion?
Low wages are not good for individuals, for society or for the economy. We are caught between two Governments with the wrong priorities. The Tories are not progressive and the SNP pretends to be but offers nothing to change the lives of the people of Scotland.
I move amendment S4M-09926.1, to insert at end:
“; acknowledges that over 400,000 people in Scotland are working for less than the living wage and that nearly two thirds of these are women; notes that payment of the living wage would boost the earnings of a full-time minimum wage worker by over £2,600 a year, and calls for the Procurement Reform (Scotland) Bill to be amended to extend the payment of the living wage to public contracts.”
16:39Motions, questions or amendments mentioned by their reference code.