Figures revealed by Labour today show insecure work has increased by nearly a third since 2011.
The figures show 220,000 people in Scotland are in low paid or insecure work, a 32 per cent rise since the SNP won a majority in 2011.
This is indicative of the kind of economy we have seen under the Tories and the SNP. Frankly, it’s an economy that works only for the privileged few.
While it is a huge relief that Gross Domestic Product (GDP) figures released today show Scotland avoiding recession, this was a narrow escape for our economy.
And the long-term trends are still worrying. The average annual change showed growth of only 0.5 per cent, compared to 1.9 per cent across the UK.
But GDP growth figures don’t show the reality of the economy for many people across the country. There are hundreds of thousands of people in Scotland, and millions across Britain, who from week to week don’t know how many hours they will work. Single parents who don’t know if their job will provide them with enough money to feed their children in any given week.
The United Kingdom is one of the wealthiest nations on earth. It is utterly appalling that there should be anyone, let alone hundreds of thousands, using food banks. Yet that is the reality for many families across our country.
The SNP often cries foul, pointing the finger of blame at others, but it has run a Scottish Government with more control over the economy than any other administration, for the last decade. The growth in insecure work is the SNP’s responsibility.
We would do things differently.
Labour’s government-in-waiting in Westminster would ban zero hour contracts across the UK and we would increase the minimum wage to a real living wage of £10 per hour.
We’d repeal the Trade Union Act and guarantee trade unions access into every work place, reversing the ebbing away of workers’ rights we have seen under Tory and SNP governments.
And this week Jackie Baillie will launch our industrial strategy.
It’s time to build an economy that works for the many, not the few.
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