SCRAP SCOTTISH ENTERPRISE AND INCREASE MINIMUM WAGE IN PUBLIC SECTOR

The Scottish Socialist Party today announced its intention to scrap Scottish Enterprise and use its annual budget to introduce a £7.32 per hour minimum wage and 35-hour maximum working week across the public sector to eradicate low pay and create 24,000 new jobs.

The Scottish Socialist Party believes low pay within Scotland’s public services is an unacceptable scandal. Research from the Parliament’s research centre reveals a £450 million annual investment, less than 3% of the Parliament’s annual budget, would allow a radical improvement in wages, a cut in working hours and create 24,000 new jobs.

Tommy Sheridan, Scottish Socialist Party MSP and National Convenor said at today’s launch,
“The time for talking is over. Radical action to end low pay and associated poverty is now required. By scrapping Scottish Enterprise we release the necessary funds to pay for a £7.32 hourly minimum wage, a 35-hour week and the creation of 24,000 new jobs. This is real action to tackle real poverty and ends the scandal of poverty pay across our hospitals and town halls. This is the type of action the Scottish Parliament should be taking.”

Further information attached:
MOTION: (laid before Parliament today) Scrap Scottish Enterprise & increase minimum wage in public sector
That the Parliament notes the research conducted by the Scottish Parliament Research Service revealing that the cost of imposing a £7.32 per hour minimum wage and 35-hour maximum working week across the public sector in Scotland would be £450 million per annum and would create an additional 24,000 public sector jobs; further notes that the Scottish Enterprise budget for 2003-04, 2004-05 and 2005-06 is £446 million, £453 million and £454 million respectively and believes this agency should be scrapped and its budget used instead to eradicate low pay in Scotland’s hospitals and town halls, modernise working conditions and create 24,000 new jobs on a minimum hourly rate of £7.32, as recommended by the Low Pay Unit; and Parliament believes such a public investment package would end low pay in the public sector, raise hundreds of thousands out of poverty and set good employment practices which the private sector would be compelled to match and that instead of talking about tackling poverty, the Executive should act.

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For more information, contact Tommy Sheridan on 07887 795075 or Hugh Kerr on 0131 348 5631/07713 063647