New figures show Scottish Labour’s plan to create a Real Living Wage of £10-per-hour would give a pay rise to 130,000 young people in Scotland.
Unveiled in Labour’s manifesto last month, which inspired millions of young people across Britain to vote Labour, our plan would bring an end to low-paid work in the UK by not only increasing the minimum wage but also by abolishing the existing youth rate, which is even lower.
The minimum wage is one of Labour’s proudest achievements, but Scotland needs a pay rise. There are 129,000 18 to 24-year-olds here earning less than the £8.25 living wage. That’s more than half of all working young people.
For too long young people have been let down by a Tory government only interested in protecting the privileged few and an SNP government in Scotland more interested in running a referendum campaign than using the powers of the Scottish Parliament to end austerity.
Labour’s government-in-waiting in Westminster offers something different.
As well as increasing the minimum wage to £10 per hour, we would abolish zero hour contracts, ending the scourge of insecure work for the millions in Britain who wake up not knowing if they are going to work on any given day.
We will create a society that provides real opportunity for young people, by governing in the interests of the many, not the few.
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