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Nearly 300,000 Scots women not paid living wage

The figures, published by Scottish Labour, showed that 24.3 per cent of all women who are in employment receive less than the living wage
The figures, published by Scottish Labour, showed that 24.3 per cent of all women who are in employment receive less than the living wage
PHILIP TOSCANO/PRESS ASSOCIATION WIRE

Almost two thirds of workers who earn less than the living wage are female with nearly 300,000 women in Scotland not being paid at this level.

There are 466,000 Scots whose pay is lower than the living wage, which is £8.45 an hour for workers outside London.

The figures, from the Scottish parliament information centre, showed that 64 per cent of this group were women, which means that 298,000 female workers in Scotland receive a salary lower than the living wage.

The figures, published by Scottish Labour, showed that 24.3 per cent of all women who are in employment receive less than the living wage, while the figure for men is 15.4 per cent.

The figures relate to the wage set by the Living Wage Foundation, not the national minimum wage as set by Westminster at £7.50 an hour for the over- 25s. Labour, which wants a £10-an-hour minimum wage by 2020, said that the figures were pertinent coming so soon after salary information from the BBC which showed a gender pay gap.

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Lesley Laird, the shadow Scottish secretary, said: “The gender pay gap has been in the news with the disparity between men and women at the top of the BBC’s payroll exposed.

“But while the debate has been focused on those at the top, pay inequality continues to impact millions of people across the country. These figures show almost 300,000 women in Scotland earn less than the living wage, with significantly fewer men in the same situation.

“Not only are women paid less than men, and with more barriers to progression, but hundreds of thousands in Scotland are paid less than the living wage.”