YOUNG MORAY WORKERS under the age of 25 should be treated with ‘equality and fairness’ by being paid at the same rate as older workers doing the same job.
That is the view being expressed by local MP Angus Robertson as he welcomed the passing of an Equal Pay for Equal Work motion at the SNP Conference last week.
The motion, put forward by the SNP’s Trade Union Group, received unanimous backing from delegates. It highlights that workers aged from 16 to 24 can and often do the same job as someone over 25 – but are paid 26% less on average.
The motion also called for the National Living Wage to be set at the Living Wage rate calculated by the Living Wage foundation.
Mr Robertson said: “I have long argued the case, alongside SNP colleagues, that the Living Wage, as set by the Living Wage Foundation, should be the lowest rate of pay for people and that the rate should be applied regardless of age.
“Paying workers under 25 over a quarter less in their pay packets for doing the same job as a colleague over 25 is totally unfair. People in that age bracket can have their own home, their own family and the same household bills and expense as anyone else. It defies logic to penalise them with pay lower than everyone else.
“First the Minimum Wage and now the so-called ‘National Living Wage’ have set rates of pay that do not cover the basic costs of living and that is not an acceptable situation for a modern, wealthy country to be in.
“In Moray and throughout Scotland we have implemented the real Living Wage for public sector workers and we are pushing private sector employers to do the same, with some notable successes like SSE Hydro coming on board.
“A valued workforce is a productive workforce and we will continue to push the UK Government to implement the real Living Wage rather than the fake ‘National Living Wage’, which is no way the same thing.”
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