Zero hour workers earn third less than other workers

Scottish Labour has today called for a ban on zero hours contracts after research revealed that staff earn a third less than workers on the average wage.
The median pay for a zero-hours workers is just £7.49-an-hour compared with £12.17-an-hour for all employees in Scotland, a difference of £4.68.
In Scotland, 467,000 workers earn less than the living wage and 57,000 are on zero-hours contracts.
Labour would ban zero hour contracts and introduce a Real Living Wage of £10-an-hour by 2020.

Shadow Scotland Office Minister, Paul Sweeney said:
“These figures demonstrate the stark reality of life on a zero-hours contract.
“A symbol of the failure of the Tories’ economic plan is the proliferation of zero hour contracts, which has helped fuel the low-wage, low-skill economy that is letting down working people and letting down Britain.
“And the SNP government in Scotland has more power over economic development that any previous Scottish Government, but its record on good quality job creation simply has not been good enough. That's because the Nationalists have simply passed on Tory cuts rather than invest in our economy for growth.
“Our country only succeeds when working people succeed. Labour would ban zero hours contracts – so that every worker gets a guaranteed number of hours each week.
“Our government-in-waiting in Westminster has a manifesto that would build an economy across the UK for the many not the few.”

 

 

Press release: Foreign Secretary welcomes Qatar’s commitment to combat terrorism

The Foreign Secretary comments that the Emir of Qatar’s commitment to combat terrorism will help resolve the dispute.

On Friday 21 July the Emir of Qatar pledged to resolve current Gulf tensions through dialogue and negotiation via Kuwaiti mediation.

The Foreign Secretary has welcomed a statement made by the Emir of Qatar, in which he outlined Qatar’s opposition to terrorism, commitment to resolving differences through dialogue, and his country’s support for Kuwaiti mediation.

The Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson said:

I welcome the Emir of Qatar’s commitment to combat terrorism in all its manifestations, including terrorist financing. The Emir also pledged to resolve the remaining differences with Saudi Arabia, UAE, Egypt and Bahrain through dialogue, negotiation, and Kuwaiti mediation. These steps will help to resolve the dispute.

We hope that in turn Saudi Arabia, UAE, Egypt and Bahrain respond by taking steps towards lifting the embargo. This will allow substantive discussions on remaining differences to begin.

The UK will continue to engage our partners in the region to help them reach a solution, including assisting Kuwait’s important efforts in whatever way we can.

Further information

Our plan to end exploitative work

While Scotland now has a lower proportion of workers on zero-hours contracts than the UK average, too many people aren’t given the job security they deserve from their employer.

 

Across the UK use of zero hour contracts, unpaid ‘trial’ periods, or bogus self-employment contracts are on the rise.

 

Green Party calls for new trans rights as government announces review of Gender Recognition Act

23 July 2017

The Green Party has responded to the Government Equalities Office’s announcement of a review of the Gender Recognition Act [1].

Aimee Challenor, Green Party LGBTIQA+ spokesperson, said:

“The Green Party has long maintained the Gender Recognition Act discriminates against some trans people and a review is well overdue. This is a welcome move from the GEO when LGBTIQA+ rights are under unprecedented threat around the world, but we need to make sure the review brings to light the significant flaws in the act and leads to real change.

“We need an overhaul of trans rights in the act in order for it to be fit for purpose. In particular, trans youth and non-binary people need to be able to obtain legal gender recognition. It’s also crucial we remove the medicalisation of the process.”

Notes:

1.       http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-40692782 

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