CONTRACTORS AND THE LIVING WAGE

That this House supports the living wage as a means of ensuring that people are able to have a minimum decent standard of living; notes that many local authorities and other public agencies have implemented the living wage; further notes with concern that many private sector companies working on public sector contracts, such as MITIE, do not pay the living wage; believes that this creates a divide between those directly employed in the public sector and those working on public sector contracts for a private company, including those who are employed to do exactly the same job as public sector employees; acknowledges and supports the principles behind the proposed Living Wage (Scotland) Bill currently being consulted on by the Scottish Parliament; and calls on the Government to introduce a similar bill to ensure that all companies such a MITIE, who are awarded public sector contracts, pay their employees the living wage.