The Deputy Prime Minister has pledged to “make work pay in Scotland”, as figures revealed parts of the country could see the biggest boost to their employment than anywhere else in the UK. Speaking ahead of a visit to Glasgow on Thursday, Angela Rayner said the UK Government’s flagship Employment Rights Bill amounts to the “biggest upgrade to workers’ rights in a generation”.
Research from the UK Government has found workers in central Scotland will see the biggest boost to their wages as a result of the changes to workers’ rights. Around 100,000 of the lowest-paid employees in Scotland are expected to be affected by the changes, including the ban on “exploitative” zero-hours contracts.
A zero-hours contract is a type of employment that allows companies to only pay staff when they need them. It can see workers called at short notice to work a variety of hours, rather than a set amount each week like most staff. Labour’s changes would give workers the right to a contract that matches the number of hours they usually work and would require firms to give reasonable notice and compensation if shifts are altered or cancelled.
The party said the change is needed as the proportion of zero-hours contracts in Scotland has more than doubled since 2013. Ms Rayner said the UK Government has already delivered the “biggest pay boost on record” after raising the minimum wage. That will result in an extra £1,400 a year for eligible full-time workers and £2,500 a year for 18 to 20-year-olds, whose wages are lower than their older counterparts.
