The Scottish Labour Party’s leader, Anas Sarwar, has said that not all staff currently receive pay equal to the real living wage at United Wholesale, a business owned by his family. Sarwar’s party has proposed new minimum pay rates linked to the cost of living in its “new deal for workers”. Should Labour win the forthcoming general election, the wholesaler will have to comply with the party’s “genuine living wage”. The Scottish politician denied that the policy would result in job losses, and also revealed that his interest in United Wholesale was waived in 2017, when he became an MSP.
While the Living Wage Foundation currently advocates a real living wage of £12 ($14.94) per hour across the UK and £13.15 per hour in London, Labour has not specified precisely what its minimum wage would be. The party does, however, support a minimum wage calculated on the basis of the cost of living. The party’s “new deal for working people” would also prohibit zero-hour contracts. Sarwar argued that Labour’s plans would increase staff incomes and benefit businesses by increasing workers’ spending power.
Opponents accused Sarwar of hypocrisy for acknowledging that not all United Wholesale employees currently receive the real living wage. Craig Hoy, the chairman of the Scottish Conservatives, described the interview in which Sarwar made the announcement as a “car crash”, with Sarwar apparently admitting that legislative enforcement would be required to compel United Wholesale to comply with a living wage policy. Westminster leader of the Scottish National Party, Stephen Flynn, accused Labour of limiting workers’ rights, and, criticising Sarwar, spoke of “less change, more chancer
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