5 November 2018

The First Minister Nicola Sturgeon marked the start of Living Wage Week with a visit to Lady Haig’s Poppy Factory to meet employees during the organisation’s busiest time of year.

Lady Haig’s is one of nearly 1300 living wage accredited companies in Scotland.

FM @NicolaSturgeon visited the @poppyscotland Lady Haig’s Poppy Factory to mark the start of #LivingWageWeek and celebrate the new real #LivingWage of £9.00 https://t.co/83DFBFSbVY pic.twitter.com/zxPHogzgkZ

— First Minister (@ScotGovFM) November 5, 2018

The First Minister also welcomed the rise in the rate of the real Living Wage to £9. The Living Wage rates are independently calculated and based on the real cost of living.

The First Minister said:

“It’s fantastic to see the rise in the rate of the real Living Wage which will benefit thousands of people and businesses across Scotland. Scotland is the best performing country in the UK in terms of paying the real Living Wage and is already ahead of the curve when it comes to championing fairness in the workplace. There are now almost 1,300 Living Wage accredited employers in Scotland while our new Fair Work First strategy will make payment of the Living Wage a condition of even more public contracts and government support grants.”

More information on becoming Living Wage accredited is available on the Living Wage Scotland website.

?? To kick off Living Wage Week 2018, here are some of Scotland's achievements and future ambitions. Follow #LivingWageWeek to stay updated. pic.twitter.com/toK6KAw0ci

— ScotGovEconomy (@scotgoveconomy) November 5, 2018