Thank you so much to everyone who contributed to a memorable Living Wage Week. The campaign to ensure everyone earns enough to live on in Scotland relies on our fantastic network of engaged employers and supporters. We couldn’t do this without you!
Read on for some of our highlights and please ensure you are subscribed to our newsletter for a more in-depth look at the week.
Living Wage Welcomes
Our first announcement of Living Wage Week saw Hanover Scotland announced as a Living Wage accredited employer! Hanover have worked to help older people lead fulfilling and independent lives across Scotland for over 40 years.
Tuesday saw Glasgow Life announce their accreditation with us, As the operator of iconic venues across the city, Glasgow Life’s accreditation offers additional security to their more than 2500 staff in the region and signals to other employers in the area the importance of making a formal commitment to the real Living Wage.
Over the rest of the week, we saw other exciting accreditations announced from East Lothian Council, Live Borders and Inverness based Aurora Energy Services. For each of these employers, their commitment will mean that not only will their directly employed staff be guaranteed to receive the real Living Wage but their regular third party contracted staff will benefit too.
Another big announcement was the launch of the Glasgow City Region’s plan to Make Glasgow City Region a Living Wage Place, aiming to tackle low pay across the region something which if successful will have a huge impact for employees all over the city region.
The Living Wage movement in Scotland now includes over 3750 employers across Scotland. It’s wonderful to see it continue to grow, thank you to all our accredited employers for your ongoing support!
Living Wage Events
Our Tuesday workshop ‘Become an Employer of Choice’, welcomed employers to Glasgow Caledonian University where they learned how to attract top talent, create a positive work culture, and stand out as a desirable employer in an interactive workshop.
That day we also held an inspiring and engaging online session, Welcome to the Living Wage Foundation, with our newly accredited employers, where the value of accreditation was discussed, showcasing some of the successes and benefits experienced by accredited employers.
On Wednesday the Scottish Borders Living Wage Action Group invited interested employers to a Business Breakfast Event at Inspire Learning: Tweedbank. Hosted by the Convener of Scottish Borders Council, this was both a celebratory event and an information session to encourage more employers in the region to become accredited.
Living Hours was the focus of a webinar on the same day, Living Hours: Good for Business, Good for Workers, Good for Society, where speakers and a Q&A answered attendees questions about accreditation. Featuring input from Scottish Living Hours employer Fife Gingerbread this was a well-attended and engaging event.
Aberdeen and Aberdeenshire celebrated Living Wage Week on Thursday in the AAB Group offices in Kingswell, which was open to all employers and included a Q&A. Allowing attendees to learn more about the real Living Wage, Living Hours and Living Pensions as well as some time for networking with a hot drink and a sweet treat!
Dundee held its own celebration on Friday, where the Dundee Living Wage Action Group and Social Security Scotland invited accredited employers in Dundee to come and learn about Living Hours to explore how they can build upon their Living Wage commitment.
EVH members were invited to attend a Living Wage information session on Friday, where accredited employers shared their experiences and the benefits of the living wage for both employers and employees.
This year the Living Wage Scotland Awards took place in Glasgow , at Rutherglen Town Hall where attendees and finalists enjoyed a wonderful evening. Big thanks to our principal sponsor SSE plc and to our individual award sponsors.
Blogs and Articles
We had a full week’s worth of blogs and articles. Professor Rosaline Searle shared a blog on retaining relent in low wage roles, speaking about her experiences and the importance of fair work.
McAlpine Plumbing spoke about their decision to become accredited, and how it reflects their long term commitment to always pay more than the government Living Wage, as did The Lines Between, who also spoke about their Living Pension accreditation.
The Aberdeen Living Wage Action Group shared insights into their ongoing campaign to Make Aberdeen a Living Wage City, discussing the impact of poverty and how their work is challenging and changing living conditions. This was further discussed by the Edinburgh Living Wage Action Group Insights blog, which spoke with several accredited employees.
Social Media Content
Once again, our social channels were on fire thanks to all our supporters who joined us online. We had some fantastic video content from employees and employers including law firm Morton Fraser MacRoberts LLP; Edinburgh non-profit Capital City Partnership; and SSE.
We were delighted to see some inventive and exciting promotion of the Living Wage movement from across our network, including Dundee Cllr Steven Rome reaching new heights at Avertical World and Feeling Strong UK’s crowd of adorable Living Wage supporters!
Ministerial Engagement
Along with Scottish Government Ministers, we marked Living Wage Week with 15 visits to real Living Wage Employers, and we’d like to thank the Ministers and every organisation which participated in hosting a visit.
This included a visit from First Minister John Swinney to the Scotch Whiskey Experience, where he participated in a filmed tour and discussed the ongoing work of the real Living Wage. Deputy First Minister Kate Forbes spent a morning at Fife’s Little Beehive Nursery. Here in Glasgow, we were delighted to have Tom Arthur, MSP and Minister for Employment and Investment, visit Sprigg’s restaurant.