Snp Hypocrisy on Living Wage - Submitted by Leader of the Council John Mcginty

11. NOTICE OF MOTION - SNP HYPOCRISY ON LIVING WAGE - SUBMITTED BY LEADER OF THE COUNCIL JOHN MCGINTY

The Council considered a motion submitted by Leader of the Council John McGinty in the following terms:-

“West Lothian Council recalls the WLC SNP Group claiming to have an interest in expanding the Living Wage in West Lothian despite having voted twice to deny it to their own workforce.

Council is therefore disappointed, but not surprised to note that an amendment to the Procurement Reform Bill proposed by opposition parties in the Scottish Parliament which would have promoted the payment of the Living Wage to workers on public sector contracts was voted down by SNP members of the Infrastructure and Capital Investment Committee.

Council further notes that the SNP MSP’s concerned, Maureen Watt MSP, Adam Ingram MSP, Gordon MacDonald MSP and Jim Eadie MSP have all previously publicly supported the Living Wage.

Council condemns this SNP hypocrisy over the Living Wage, notes that the actions of these MSP’s have blocked the opportunity to extend the Living Wage to workers on public sector contracts, and welcomes the statement by opposition parties that they intend to bring back the Living Wage amendment at the third and final stage of the Procurement Bill.”

Moved by Leader of the Council John McGinty, seconded by Councillor Muldoon.

Amendment

West Lothian Council congratulates Cllr. McGinty on his perfectly timed 1st April motion and asserts;

“Dinna laugh, dinna smile, hunt the gowk another mile”

Council dismisses Labour’s wholly unfounded attacks upon the SNP position in respect of low pay and poverty and with regards to the serious issue of West Lothian Council SNP Group’s actions in respect of low pay council notes;

x 1995 – 2007 – under successive Labour council administrations no action whatsoever was taken in respect of council pay scales in relation to low paid staff.

x 2007-2012 – SNP led council administration promoted the following initiatives; 1. West Lothian Council 11th January 2011

Within the Council Budget motion approved on 11th January 2011 Council Priorities

West Lothian Council welcomes the Scottish Government’s introduction, from August 2010, of a “Living Wage” of £7.15 per hour for every core worker in the Scottish Government as another step towards creating a better, fairer Scotland. West Lothian Council calls for the Westminster Government to review the minimum wage and to set this at the Living Wage level of £7.15 and for COSLA to work towards the provision of a living wage for every Scottish council employee.

2. West Lothian Council September 6th 2011

Motion approved by West Lothian Council on 6th September

Living Wage

West Lothian Council notes that the Scottish Government is scheduled to make a statement regarding the Scottish Spending Review on 21st September 2011. Council further notes that detailed spending figures for councils are expected to be available in December 2011 allowing the Council to consider setting the 12/13 budget in January.

Council asserts that it is the role of councillors and political groups to bring forward budget proposals.

Council therefore instructs officers to provide full information to all political groups on the costs, benefits and implications of the introduction of a “Living Wage” in the 12/13 budget.

3. West Lothian Council 11th January 2012

Within the budget motion approved by Council measures to tackle poverty and low pay totalling over £1.3 million were proposed by the SNP led Administration and opposed by Labour. These included,

x Expansion of Breakfast Clubs – provision of free breakfast clubs to the remaining 40 primary schools for P1-7 pupils in receipt of free school meals. Provision will be expanded in the 26 schools currently with breakfast clubs to include P4-7 children in receipt of free school meals. This means that throughout West Lothian 2603 children entitled to free school meals will, in addition to lunch, receive a free nutritious breakfast, ensuring they begin the day ready to learn.

x School Clothing Allowances – Currently 5600 pupils benefit from such allowances and this provision will allow the scheme to expand, and will double the existing clothing allowances for both primary and secondary pupils to £94.00 for primary pupils and £110.00 for secondary pupils. x School Clothing Store – provision of £1,000 to each secondary school and £550 to each primary school and special school to assist with the provision of school and sports clothing, to support pupils who attend school without appropriate clothing

x Alcohol Strategy – provision for measures that will have a positive impact on alcohol prevention, diversion and recovery.

x Low Pay – provision to alter the existing Band A of the council’s pay structure, in consultation with trade unions, to deliver a consolidated salary increase to 748 lower paid staff.

x Review of Council Concessions – provision to review all council concessions, to ensure access to council services is improved for those on low incomes, and to introduce a ‘Veterans’ Concessionary Scheme’. 4. West Lothian Council Executive 20th March 2012

The SNP led Administration approved at Agenda Item 9, the following motion;

The Council Executive notes;

The 2012/13 Revenue Budget, approved by West Lothian Council on 11 January 2012, included a commitment to deliver action on pay for the council’s lowest paid employees.

That progress achieved by officers and the relevant trade unions in negotiating a proposal will deliver action on low pay for 748 council employees from 1 April 2012.

The Council Executive agrees to take further action on low pay and instructs officers to enter into further negotiations with the relevant trade unions to explore the introduction of the Living Wage, currently £7.20 per hour, from April 2013/14.

The Council Executive further notes that In progressing the introduction of the Living Wage there will be a requirement for officers and the relevant trade unions to provide for a consolidated payment, which preserves the council’s equal pay structure and mitigates the council’s exposure to any Equal Pay claims.

The Council Executive instructs officers to report back to a future meeting of the Council Executive with progress on these matters.

Council therefore accepts that during 12 years of successive Labour Council Administrations no progress whatsoever was made towards tackling the issue of low paid council staff.

Council further accepts that from 2007 to 2012, under an SNP led Council Administration significant progress was made towards tackling the issue of low paid council staff including; • The introduction of free breakfasts for school children

• The doubling of school clothing grants for school children • Funding to improve council concessionary schemes • Delivery of a consolidated salary increase to 748 lower paid council staff from April 2012. • Negotiations with the relevant trade unions to explore the introduction of the Living Wage, currently £7.20 per hour, from April 2013/14. Council further notes, with astonishment, the completely dishonest misrepresentation by Labour politicians of the SNP Government position in respect of the living wage within the Procurement Reform Bill which is currently under discussion within the Scottish Parliament.

Council therefore further notes;

1. That the SNP Government has introduced the living wage for all government employees, 180,000 employees in Scotland who work for government, government agencies and the NHS. 2. That the SNP Government is fully committed to the principle of extending the living wage into public contracts in a legally compliant manner. 3. That European law makes it illegal for the Scottish Parliament to make it a condition of a contract that a company must pay a living wage which is higher than the minimum wage that is set in the United Kingdom. (the current member state) This position applies under the posted workers directive. 4. That the SNP Government is not prepared to accept that the Procurement Reform Bill cannot promote the living wage and this Bill will therefore give Government the power to issue guidance on the workforce matters that contracting authorities can take into account which will include, where relevant to the performance of the contract, the living wage. 5. In particular, that guidance will cover matters relating to recruitment, terms of engagement and remuneration of employees involved in the contract. The intention is to use the bill to the maximum extent possible to progress and pursue the SNP Government objective of expanding the payment of the living wage. 6. The Bill provides therefore for the issue of guidance on how purchasers should take account of a company’s approach to recruitment and terms of engagement, which will include pay, when assessing the suitability of a company to bid. 7. This guidance will be statutory and cannot be ignored by public bodies. 8. This will be guidance for public sector purchasers, including for example purchasers of, for example, social care, catering and cleaning contracts, where pay is recognised as key factor in determining the quality of service to be provided. Council therefore agrees that rather than waiting for the Procurement Reform Bill to become law to instruct officers to take all necessary steps to introduce the living wage to all West Lothian Council procurement procedures where pay can be determined to be a key factor in ensuring services are delivered by appropriately qualified and highly motivated staff thus protecting the quality of services to be delivered.

Council further notes that on 26th March, Westminster agreed by 520 Tory, Labour & Liberal votes to 22 SNP, Plaid Cymru and Labour rebel votes to back the £119.5 billion ceiling on welfare spending in 2015-16 announced by George Osborne in his Budget .

Council further notes that Save the Children estimate this cap will push 345,000 additional children into poverty in just four years.

Council further notes the statement by the Labour Shadow Chancellor Ed Balls:

“We support capping social security spending, a policy the Leader of the Opposition [Mr Miliband] advocated last year.”

The list of Scottish Labour MP’s who voted in favour of the Tory benefit cap by George Osborne were:

Margaret Curran – Glasgow East Tom Greatrex – Rutherglen and Hamilton West Ian Murray – Edinburgh South Willie Bain – Glasgow North East Gordon Banks – Ochil and South Perthshire Tom Clarke – Coatbridge, Chryston and Bellshill Dame Anne Begg – Aberdeen South Alistair Darling – Edinburgh South West Ian Davidson – Glasgow South West Thomas Docherty – Dunfermline and west Fife Frank Doran – Aberdeen North Gemma Doyle – West Dunbartonshire Sheila Gilmore – Edinburgh East David Hamilton – Midlothian Tom Harris – Glasgow South Jimmy Hood – Lanark and Hamilton East Cathy Jamieson – Kilmarnock and Loudon Mark Lazarowicz – Edinburgh North and Leith Gregg McClymont – Cumbernauld, Kilsyth and Kirkintilloch East Anne McGuire – Stirling Anne McKechin – Glasgow North Iain McKenzie – Greeenock and Inverclyde Graeme Morrice – Livingston Jim Murphy – East Renfrewshire Pamela Nash – Airdrie and Shotts Sandra Osborne – Ayr, Carrick and Cumnock John Robertson – Glasgow North West Frank Roy – Motherwell and Wishaw Lindsay Roy – Glenrothes Anas Sarwar – Glasgow Central

Council further notes the comment from Iain Macwhirter writing in the Herald of 27th March:

“Labour has, through its actions in Westminster yesterday, legitimised the Conservative welfare agenda. The party that created the welfare state has lost the ability to defend its fundamental principles…Last week Ed Miliband accused Alex Salmond of mimicking Tory policies and abandoning social justice; this week the Labour leader stands accused of gross hypocrisy”.

Council therefore further agrees to write to the Leader of the Labour Party in Scotland expressing this council’s opposition to the imposition of a benefit cap and requesting clarity from her in respect of;

1. The reasons for the Labour Party voting with the Tories in support of the imposition of a cap of welfare expenditure to support of the poor and vulnerable in our society.

2. Under Labour proposals to devolve housing benefit to Holyrood can she confirm that Westminster will still determine the housing benefit budget which will be devolved?

3. Given that Labour have voted to cap welfare spending which benefits do Labour plan to cut in order to find the £450 million required to pay for the abolition of the bedroom tax?

Moved by Councillor Johnston, seconded by Councillor Campbell.

It was agreed that a roll call vote be taken which resulted as follows:-

Motion Amendment Abstain

Stuart Borrowman Frank Anderson Harry Cartmill Willie Boyle Tom Conn Diane Calder Alex Davidson Janet Campbell Jim Dixon Martyn Day David Dodds Robert De Bold Lawrence Fitzpatrick Isabel Hutton Tom Kerr Carl John Dave King Peter Johnston Danny Logue Greg McCarra John McGinty Andrew Miller Anne McMillan John Muir Angela Moohan Jim Walker Cathy Muldoon George Paul Barry Robertson Frank Toner

Decision

The motion was successful by 17 votes to 13 votes and it was agreed accordingly.