Campaign to be a Living Wage City

Along with council colleagues, including Councillor Charlie Malone and others I attended a Living Wage Roadshow in the City Chambers on Wednesday evening.  I was the first person to promote the Living Wage on Dundee City Council, and while I welcomes what the council is doing to promote the Living Wage he is clear that there is much much more that could be done.

It was good to see just how far we have come since I first proposed the Living Wage in a Dundee City Council meeting.  I am really pleased that after a fairly long campaign that Dundee City Council is now a fully accredited Living Wage employer.  I want Dundee to become a Living Wage city with a Living Wage economy.  People need to be rewarded for their work.  Dundee City Council has considerable financial clout in this city and we should not be afraid to use that to ensure that the people of Dundee  are paid a decent wage.  Dundee residents should benefit from council external contracts and we should make sure that all council contractors and sub-contractors are paid the Living Wage.  Dundee City Council should be at forefront of the campaign to make Dundee a Living Wage city and should lead by example.

It was good to hear about what the council is doing in conjunction with the Poverty Alliance, the Living Wage Foundation and the Scottish Government to ensure that more companies sign up to the Living Wage and there are special accreditation rates over the next month.  I want to work with anyone to make our city a Living Wage economy and improve the lot of very many of our fellow Dundonians.