Support for Dundee Labour Students Living Wage Campaign



Addressing the meeting outside the Students' Association on the Living Wage

Today I was really pleased to join Dundee Labour Students, others student activists, the Movement for Change, and staff and trade unions at Dundee University to support their campaign for the University of Dundee to pay the Living Wage.  I have already made clear my support of this campaign.  Well done to Connor McElwaine and others for organising the event.  I have long supported the campaign for a Living Wage and supported Dundee City Council's efforts to introduce the Living Wage for Dundee City Council workers.  At that time I was clear that we must also support the Living Wage for all arms-length companies and contractors of Dundee City Council.  I fully support the Living Wage for all public sector workers such as those who work at the University of Dundee.  We should also be looking to get the Living Wage paid across every sector of the economy.  I was pleased to be joined by Unison activists Emma Phillips and Phil Welsh as well as Jim McGovern MP in showing my support for the campaign by students and staff. 

 

 

You can see my speech at the event below:

 

 

'Firstly, thanks very much for the opportunity to speak here today.

Whatever the rights and wrongs of the issue it is good to see university staff and students campaigning together and trying to make a difference.

As a local councillor for the university I am pleased to be here today and as a graduate of the university I am pleased to be here today.

Fundamentally I am here today because I think that work should pay.  It should pay to be in employment.  The best way out of poverty is work.

I campaigned over the last couple of years to get Dundee City Council to pay the Living Wage.  I am pleased to say that Dundee City Council is now paying the Living Wage.

When Dundee City Council agreed to pay its employees the Living Wage we also agreed to promote the Living Wage to all arms-length companies and to companies which get contracts from the council.

Importantly, we also said that we would promote the Living Wage right across the city in all sectors.

I support the Living Wage for all public sector workers, that includes workers at the University of Dundee.

Paying the Living Wage shows that we value workers and want to give them dignity in the workplace.  It is also good sense for the economy.  For example the independent think tank the Institute for Fiscal Studies has calculated that for every pound spent paying the Living Wage, the Treasury saves 50p through not needing to pay tax credits and benefits.  The Living Wage would put more money in the economy which would be good for the economy as a whole.

 

The issue is should the economy be run for the benefit of the many or the few.  Should we be helping bankers or helping the poorest in society.

Paying the Living Wage across the whole public sector is where we should be.  It is about dignity, it is about valuing workers and most importantly it is about fairness, a fair day's pay for a fair day's work.’