Demand Immediate £2-an-hour Pay Rise for Scotland’s 920,000 Key Workers & a £12 Minimum Wage.

The government has classified 920,000 people in Scotland as ‘key workers’ during the killer pandemic – a third of the entire workforce. These workers – in sectors including the NHS, social care, food, supermarkets, cleansing services, postal services, utilities, transport, etc – were hailed as ‘heroes’ as they put their health at risk to keep society functioning. But they continue to be under-valued and under-paid. They've suffered derisory treatment in both the UK and Scottish government budgets. 

One third of key workers earn less than £10-an-hour. Two-thirds of them are women. One in 3 is part-time, many on precarious or very short-hours contracts, making their incomes even more pitiful. Those on less than a 16-hour contract are 40% more likely to be low-paid than the average worker.

During the pandemic, billionaires have increased their wealth massively – by £400bn. Vast sums of government money has been given to big business.

Whilst supporting the specific pay claims of each trade union in each sector (including 15% for NHS staff and care workers' Fight for £15), the multi-union Scottish Workers Solidarity Network demands that the current and incoming Scottish government invest in workers who make society function, at risk to their health and lives. That they do so by rewarding these overwhelmingly low-paid workers an immediate pay increase of at least £2-an-hour, across the board, regardless of sector or age, covering all 920,000 ‘key workers’.

This demand, originally raised by the STUC a year ago, should be underpinned by a minimum wage for ALL workers of at least £12-an-hour - which (after inflation) would barely match the £10 minimum wage first demanded by the trade union movement 7 years ago - to help end the scourge of poverty pay in Scotland.

Furthermore, poverty pay is caused by under-employment, including zero-hours and short-hours contracts. We therefore demand the Scottish government support and implement the policy of a guaranteed minimum 16-hour contract for every worker who wants one – as demanded by the 2019 STUC conference.

Half of all key workers are directly employed in the public sector; many more rely on public funding. Therefore, the Scottish government has the power to directly intervene and tackle the crime of workers being left in poverty pay after their dedicated contribution to society, including during the Coronavirus. And by setting this example in the public sector, the government can help force private sector employers to match these demands for decent pay.

MSPs: Which Side Are You On? 

We, the undersigned, demand that the political parties and candidates seeking votes as MSPs publicly declare whose side they are on. 

We demand they help end the appalling hypocrisy of workers being hailed as ‘heroes’ only to be treated as ‘zeros’ on pay and job security – by publicly pledging to fight for and implement an immediate £2-an-hour rise for all key workers; a national minimum wage of £12-an-hour for all, regardless of age; and a guaranteed minimum 16-hour contract for every worker who wants one.