Health wins living wage

by John Gallacher

NHS Scotland employers have agreed to implement a Living Wage.

The December Scottish Health Committee had debated the ‘Living Wage’ policy and received a presentation from the Living Wage Campaign. A UNISON paper was then presented to the February 2011 Scottish Partnership Forum and the Scottish Government the employers agreed to implement the Living Wage in 2011/12 across NHS Scotland.

The mechanism for this will be to delete from use the bottom point of band 1. Assuming a £250 increase, this would see a starting rate of £ 7.29 in NHS Scotland.

The Government estimates it will benefit 4,500 people at annual cost of £2million on paybill.

Tom Waterson, UNISON Scotland Health Chair, said: “A good day at the office for UNISON Scotland. This is far more than a fringe benefit, it goes to the heart of the household budgets of working people struggling to make ends meet.

“£2m in workers’ pockets is a better use of public money than £2million in bonus to one senior Scottish banker!”

Regional Convenor Lilian Macer pressed home the public health arguments to the Forum: “Slightly more money to help people to heat their homes and feed their families healthily is the best ill health prevention strategy”

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